VIENNA -- Throughout the state of Georgia there are towns that have only a small law enforcement unit to take care of things. Occasionally, a call will go out for assistance in handling traffic enforcement.

When that call goes out, a group of dedicated law officers answers in the form of traffic enforcement networks. One such network is the Middle Georgia Traffic Enforcement Network that carries the motto, "We Hunt at Night."

When Vienna Police Chief David Musselwhite and Sgt. Emerson Lundy sent out the call to assist his department in the upcoming 100 Days of Summer H.E.A.T. on Monday night, the night hunters showed up in numbers.

After meeting at their designated area, the network took care of some business, after which they held a talk that was presented by Shawn Alexander, a crash scene reconstructor who travels all over the country at request of law enforcement officials.

When all of the business was concluded, the group set up their stations along Highway 215 at the old hospital in Vienna and on Highway 27. With their mobile unit that consist of a large trailer that has a holding facility and breath testing units in place, the group began to stop vehicles looking for various items.

As the group found infractions with the vehicles, the Vienna police began to write tickets. After about three hours of checking, the department had over 15 cases involving no license, child seat restraints, seat belts and were able to arrest one person on possession of marijuana and two for driving under the influence.

As the group of night hunters finished up they said they would be back in this area before too long and were making plans for a checkpoint in Peach County this weekend and Turner County in June.

The Governor's Office of Highway Safety in cooperation with state and local law enforcement agencies has organized regional Traffic Enforcement Networks around the State of Georgia. There are currently 15 regional traffic enforcement networks servicing all 159 counties in Georgia. The MGTEN consists of nine counties which include Crisp, Dooly, Wilcox, Houston, Turner, Macon, Pulaski, Peach, and Twiggs and have officers from local police departments, sheriffs departments, department of corrections, and K-9 units. The network is coordinated by Chief Ernie Pardo with the Centerville Police Department and Lt. Roger Hayes also with the Centerville Police Department.

To contact reporter John Jimenez, call 273-2277 or e-mail john.jimenez@gaflnews.com.