The holidays came early for the Marietta Police Department.
The department announced Wednesday that it has received a $55,533 Highway Enforcement of Aggressive Traffic — or, H.E.A.T. — grant from the state Office of Highway Safety.
The extra cash means more officers will be out to "combat distracted driving, lack of seat belt usage, impaired driving, pedestrian accidents," the department said.
The money will also pay for educational materials about aggressive driving.
"Highway safety is a major component of our overall public safety responsibilities," said Marietta Police Chief Dan Flynn.
The money is expected to last until September 2017.
Flynn thanked the state agency for the money, adding: "Together we can do a better job of keeping our community safe."
The MPD has been having a good couple of weeks. The department was re-certified last week by the Commission for the Accreditation of Law Enforcement Agencies, which sets the standards for police agencies across the nation.
