The Chula Vista Police Department’s Selective Traffic Enforcement program received a state grant of more than $500,000 to help reduce the number of fatalities and injuries caused by traffic crashes involving alcohol and other collision factors.
The Chula Vista City Council accepted the award granted by the California Office of Traffic Safety. The department will receive $510,000 in an effort to reduce traffic deaths, injuries, and economic losses.
The department has received various OTS grants, including the Serious Traffic Offenders Program (STOP), Comprehensive Traffic Safety Program, DUI Enforcement Program, and Selective Traffic Enforcement Program (STEP) to enhance the Traffic Unit funding new positions, traffic enforcement operations and supplies/equipment used during traffic enforcement operations.
“This grant funding allows us to support our ongoing traffic safety efforts in the community,'' CVPD Agent Brian Carter 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 new funds will allow the department to implement more DUI checkpoints and conduct more training and/or recertification for officers with the Standard Field Sobriety Test. The grant will fund overtime traffic enforcement operations.
According to Jonathan Alegre, the Chief Financial Officer of the Chula Vista Police Foundation, grant-funded operations include DUI/driver license checkpoints, DUI saturation patrols, and collaborative DUI enforcement to reduce the number of persons killed or injured in alcohol-involved collisions.
Distracted driving operations will focus on drivers using hand-held cell phones and texting. Other traffic enforcement operations include motorcycle safety enforcement operations, along with bicycle and pedestrian enforcement operations.
Additionally, traffic safety educational presentations will be conducted throughout the grant period, with the goal to reach out to community members, on the topics of distracted driving, DUI, speed, bicycle and pedestrian safety, seat belts, and child passenger safety.
The funds will also be used for training, checkpoint supplies during traffic operations, and crash data retrieval software.
The grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety runs through September 2023.
