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http://www.gazettes.com/news/crime/police-receive-traffic-enforcement-grant/article_029b425a-1541-11e1-8450-001cc4c03286.html
Police Receive Traffic Enforcement Grant
Police Receive Traffic Enforcement Grant By Jonathan Van Dyke Staff Writer Gazettes.com - Gazette Newspapers Long Beach California
New traffic grant money should help the Long Beach Police Department to continue to be vigilant in enforcing traffic laws, officials said.
The department was awarded $300,000 from the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) to allow for new equipment purchases and special traffic enforcement measures.
“We are grateful to the Office of Traffic Safety for awarding us this grant which will lend vital support toward commuter safety,” Chief Jim McDonnell said in a statement.
“In these fiscally challenging times, this will allow us to enhance our enforcement and outreach to prevent and reduce injury traffic collisions and protect lives.”
The grant’s money is meant to specifically target motorcycle safety, DUI offenders, drivers with suspended or revoked licenses, red light running, speeding, turning violations at intersections, distracted drivers and seatbelt violations.
Officials said they would use the
money in enforcement through DUI/driver license checkpoints, DUI saturation patrols, red light enforcement operations, motorcycle safety operations, speed enforcement operations and intersection safety operations.
“Thanks to the dedicated hard work of agencies like the Long Beach Police Department, California has (its) fewest traffic fatalities since 1944,” OTS Director Christopher Murphy said in a statement.
“While this is good news, we know that only by keeping the pressure on through enforcement and public awareness can we hope to sustain these declines and save lives.”
Officials said a key component of the grant would be the DUI/drivers license checkpoints, which they said have been shown to reduce crashes involving alcohol by 20% when they are well publicized. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the checkpoints yield a cost savings of $6 for every $1 spent.
Traffic deaths from all causes in California declined 11.9% from 2009 to 2010. DUI fatalities account for 30% of traffic fatalities.
