The Ventura Police Department will increase patrols throughout the community and provide other traffic safety programs to help reduce the number of serious injuries and deaths on roads.
“This grant funding allows us to support our ongoing traffic safety efforts in the community,” Sergeant Mark Knackstedt said. “Our intent is to stop the most unlawful and dangerous behaviors that put people at risk and create an environment where everyone feels safe traveling.”
The grant will provide additional programs and resources, including:
- DUI checkpoints and patrols focused on stopping suspected impaired drivers.
- High visibility distracted driving enforcement operations targeting drivers in violation of California’s hands-free cell phone law.
- Enforcement operations focused on the most dangerous driver behaviors that put the safety of people biking or walking at risk.
- Enforcement operations focused on top violations that cause crashes: speeding, failure to yield, stop sign and/or red-light running, and improper turning or lane changes.
- Community presentations on traffic safety issues such as distracted driving, impaired driving, speeding, bicycle and pedestrian safety.
- Officer training and/or recertification: Standard Field Sobriety Test (SFST), Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement (ARIDE) and Drug Recognition Expert (DRE).
The grant program will run through September 2023.
Ventura Police Department received a $63,000 grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) for a traffic records improvement project to improve the timeliness of reporting crash and citation data.
“Accurate and timely data is critical to identifying and prioritizing traffic safety issues,” Records Supervisor Paulette Halverson said. “The community will benefit greatly from this funding, which will allow us to increase our ability to identify problem areas and provide traffic safety resources where they are needed most.”
Grant funds will pay for a new electronic crash and citation data reporting system.
Funding for these programs were provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
