The Manteca Police Department just received an influx of cash that will allow the agency to go after impaired drivers behind the wheel during the holidays.
This week the department announced that it had received a $120,000 grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety – through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration – that will go towards ongoing efforts to reduce the number of injuries and deaths stemming from automobile accidents.
“This funding will strengthen our commitment to public safety in our community,” Manteca Police Operation Lieutenant Ian Osborn said. “We will be able to increase our efforts in making our roads safer for everyone and focus on critical areas such as distracted driving, impaired driving and speeding.”
Funding from this particular grant program are commonly used by agencies to cover the cost of overtime required to operate DUI checkpoints and provide saturation patrols to look for drivers that are operating vehicles while under the influence – both of which are commonly used during the holiday season as alcohol consumption increases.
According to the agency, the funding will be used for efforts including:
*DUI checkpoints and saturation patrols
*High visibility distracted driving enforcement operations
*Enforcement operations aimed at protecting pedestrians and cyclists
*Enforcement operations intended to target behaviors that increase the likelihood of a crash like speeding, failure to yield, failure to stop at a stop sign or red light, and improper turning and lane changes.
*Collaborative enforcement efforts with other agencies – like the ongoing monthly Saturation Traffic Enforcement Program (STEP) that deploys motorcycle officers to cities throughout the county
*Officer training and/or recertification in the Standard Field Sobriety Test, Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement, and Drug Recognition Expert.
The grant funding will run through September of 2024.
Agencies like the Manteca Police Department often use this funding source to help supplement existing programs and efforts and aid in focusing additional resources to specific areas of concern. The STEP Program, for example, allows the agency to target specific violations that have been occurring with more frequency in specific areas to address citizen concerns or ongoing behavior observed by officers.
To contact Bulletin reporter Jason Campbell email jcampbell@mantecabulletin.com or call 209.249.3544.
