The Stockton Police Department has been awarded a $400,365 grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) for a yearlong program of special enforcements and public awareness efforts to prevent traffic related deaths and injuries.

The Department will use the funding as part of the city’s ongoing commitment to keep roadways safe and improve the quality of life through both enforcement and education.

“We have seen the positive impact in our community that comes from focused DUI and traffic safety enforcement. The Stockton Police Department welcomes the opportunity to implement these grant funds in our continuing efforts to protect the citizens of Stockton,” said Chief Eric Jones.

After falling dramatically between 2006 and 2010, the number of persons killed and injured in traffic collisions saw slight increases in 2011 and 2012. Particularly worrisome are recent increases in pedestrian and motorcycle fatalities and the dangers of distracting technologies. This grant funding will provide opportunities to combat these and other devastating problems such as drunk and drugged driving and speeding.

“California’s roadways are still among the safest in the nation,” said OTS Director Rhonda Craft. “But to meet future mobility, safety, and sustainability objectives, we must create safer roadways for all users. The Stockton Police Department will be using these and other resources to reach the vision we all share – Toward zero deaths, every 1 counts.”

Activities that the grant will fund include: Educational presentations, DUI checkpoints, DUI saturation patrols, Motorcycle safety enforcement, Distracted driving enforcement, Seat belt and child safety seat enforcement, Speed, red light, and stop sign enforcement.

It will also include: Warrant service operations targeting multiple DUI offenders , Compilation of DUI “Hot Sheets,” identifying worst-of-the-worst DUI offenders, Specialized DUI and drugged driving training such as Standardized Field Sobriety Testing (SFST), Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement (ARIDE), Drug Recognition Evaluator (DRE), and Court “sting” operations to cite individuals driving from DUI court after ignoring their license suspension or revocation, and stakeout operations.

Funding for this program is from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

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