MACON — The Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office was one of several law enforcement agencies honored Wednesday by the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety during its 14th Annual Governor’s Challenge Awards at the Macon Centreplex.

The local agency took first place in the 251-500 officers category and also received a motorcycle safety award.

An annual recognition program for law enforcement agencies of all sizes from all over the state, the program featured awards in seven different categories based on department size, as well as specialty categories.

Harris Blackwood, the director of the office of highway safety, congratulated Forsyth Sheriff Duane Piper on the achievement.

“We hope to continue seeing them at Governor’s Challenge for years to come,” Blackwood said in a statement.

Designed to award outstanding achievements in highway safety enforcement and education, the awards recognize agencies for the approach and effectiveness of their overall highway safety programs.

Agencies are evaluated not just for enforcement initiatives, but for innovative problem-solving in their communities, using public information activities and creating departmental policies that support their traffic enforcement campaign efforts.

Powell Harrelson, the offices law enforcement services director, said in a statement that officials strive to “let these departments know that whether they have five officers or 500, we appreciate the work they do to keep their communities safe.”

“These men and women work hard and we want to recognize them for their dedication to highway safety,” he said.