California, Traffic enforcement focus of grant to Long Beach

OFF THE WIRE
http://www.presstelegram.com/news/ci_16399199
Traffic enforcement focus of grant to Long Beach

Tracy Manzer, Staff Writer LONG BEACH - A new grant worth more than a quarter of a million dollars will be used to conduct a number of traffic enforcement programs in Long Beach over the next year, police said Thursday.

The operations will be paid for by a $278,000 grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Transportation and Safety Board and will target a variety of traffic safety issues, including DUI offenders, drivers with suspended or revoked licenses, red light violations, distracted driving, motorcycle safety and seat belt violations.

Specifically, the money will pay for:

Increased patrols and enforcement at key intersections and traffic lights,

DUI/driver's license checkpoints,

DUI saturation patrols,

Special enforcement operations and

Funding for additional training of officers.

While the number of car crash fatalities and drunken driving fatalities dropped from 2008 to 2009, the problem of unsafe driving remains a major issue, authorities said.

"We have made progress but there is still much work to be done in order to prevent the tragedies that are caused by impaired and distracted driving," Long Beach Police Chief Jim McDonnell said. "This grant enables us to continue educating the public on the perils of drunk driving as well as the importance of refraining from texting and driving and using hands-free devices with cell phones."