Cutting down on DWI: Sheriff hopes to apply for Governor's Safety grant again | 911

COLUMBUS COUNTY, NC (WECT) - The sheriff in Columbus County will go before county commissioners Tuesday night to ask them to hire two additional officers for a program he says is saving lives.

The county has used the Governor's Safety grant for the past three years, a program that allows two deputies to just focus on DWI enforcement and other traffic violations.

Sheriff Chris Batten plans to apply for the grant again, but needs commissioners to agree to put up the money to hire two additional deputies.

Columbus County was third in the state for DWI deaths five years ago. According to Batten, the Governor's Safety Program has helped decrease those numbers.

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