Two Grants Aim At Keeping Mesa's Streets Safer
March 13, 2008
A very important aspect of fighting crime is the ability to
obtain grants that are designed to target specific educational
and enforcement goals of local law enforcement agencies. The
Mesa Police Department is proud to announce two new grants
provided by the Governor's Office of Highway Safety. The grants
were awarded to the Traffic Division in an effort to make the
streets of Mesa a safer place to drive. The Mesa Police
Department Traffic Division is recognized for their vigorous
enforcement of DUI's, investigations of serious and fatal
traffic collisions, traffic enforcement and public education
regarding traffic safety.
According to the Governor's Office of Highway Safety, there were
585 alcohol related fatalities in Arizona during 2006, 409 of
those involved blood alcohol levels of .08 or higher. A grant
rewarded to the Traffic Division this week by the Governor's
Office of Highway safety specifically addresses the Mesa Police
Department's ability to continue the high level of DUI
enforcement that the Traffic Division is known to provide. The
Grant for overtime and continued DUI enforcement provided
$60,000 dollars that will allow the Traffic Division to properly
staff the DUI Task Force. $9,000 of those dollars will be
utilized to purchase equipment, specifically portable breath
testers also knows as PBT's.
Speeding is another factor contributing to collisions involving
serious injury and fatalities. A grant awarded one month ago by
the Governor's Office of Highway Safety to the Mesa Police
Department Traffic Division will impact our ability to enforce
speeding violations and educate driver's about speeding. The
grant for speed enforcement and occupant protection provided
$50,000 dollars to the Traffic Division. $30,000 dollars will
specifically target enhanced speed enforcement. This will allow
for traffic officers to be deployed to areas of the city
negatively impacted by speeding vehicles without depleting daily
resources. Traffic officers will be deployed on overtime so that
normal staffing levels within the Traffic Division will not be
affected. This will allow the Traffic Division to provide the
normal level of service on a daily basis with the added level of
speed enforcement. $10,000 dollars of the grant has been
designated to the Child Safety Seat Program. A few times every
month members of the Traffic Division in partnership with the
Safe Kids Coalition (www.safekids.org)
provide free child safety seat checks to citizens at local
retail stores and H.E.A.T. events held throughout the city.
Finally, 10,000 dollars will be designated for vehicular crimes
and drug recognition expert training.
The Mesa Police Department is proud to work in close partnership
with the Governor's Office of Highway Safety to reduce
impairment and speed-related collisions involving serious
injuries and fatalities. We are committed to make the streets of
Mesa a safe place to drive. Citizens are encouraged to
participate in the Child Safety Seat Program. Visit the Mesa
Police Department web site, which can be found at
www.Mesaaz.gov. There you
will find more information about the Child Safety Seat Program.
For more information about highway safety in Arizona, please
visit www.azgohs.gov.