Modesto, CA - gets $285,000 safety grant!

OFF THE WIRE
http://www.modbee.com/2011/11/12/1945085/police-department-gets-285k-state.html
Modesto Police get $285K grant to combat traffic violations

By Rosalio Ahumada rahumada@modbee.com Saturday, Nov. 12, 2011 Saturday, Nov. 12, 2011 By Rosalio Ahumada 
MODESTO -- The Modesto Police Department has received more state grant money for year-round enforcement to pull drunken drivers off the road, catch speeders, stop red-light violators and curb other reckless driving that can lead to deaths and injuries.
The enforcement next year will be funded by a $285,000 grant from the state Office of Traffic Safety. The department received a similar $300,000 grant from the state last year, which paid for efforts such as this weekend's sobriety checkpoint and roving saturation patrols in Modesto.
The grant also will fund operations to help officers find people not wearing seat belts and driving with a revoked or suspended license.
"This funding will assist us in our commitment to ensuring Modesto streets are safe to travel by combating drunk and impaired driving; taking enforcement action on those motorists who speed through our city, and targeting those who fail to obey other traffic safety laws and use unsafe driving practices," said Modesto Police Chief Mike Harden.
The grant also pays for drug impairment training to help officers recognize when a driver is under the influence of illegal and pharmaceutical drugs. The funding allows 10 officers to receive the training to provide on-the-spot assessment of drivers.
Crash deaths have declined in California by 11.9 percent, from 3,081 killed in 2009 to 2,715 in 2010, according to state officials.
"Thanks to the dedicated hard work of agencies like the Modesto Police Department, California has the fewest traffic fatalities since 1944," said Christopher Murphy, director of the state Office of Traffic Safety.
"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."
While alcohol-related deaths also dropped last year in California, it remains the largest cause of crash deaths with more than 30 percent of total fatalities.
This will be the third consecutive year Modesto police will use the grant money to conduct motorcycle safety enforcement. Officers will be on duty patrolling areas and events where motorcycle crashes have occurred, cracking down on unsafe vehicle drivers and motorcyclists.
In California, motorcycle-related deaths dropped last year after a decade-long rise. In 2010, 353 motorcyclists were killed, a 37 percent drop from the all-time high in California in 2008.