Full Notification

<p>Greetings,</p>

<p>Press Release announcing the kick off&nbsp;of the WCPD STEP&nbsp;grant received by the California Office of Traffic Safety.</p>

<p>FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;October 3, 2016&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>CONTACT:&nbsp; Lieutenant Sean Conley, Walnut Creek Police Department, (925) 256-3519, <a href="mailto:[email protected]">[email protected]</a></p>

<p><strong>WALNUT CREEK POLICE DEPARTMENT RECEIVES GRANT FOR</strong></p>

<p><strong>SPECIAL TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT AND CRASH PREVENTION</strong></p>

<p>The Walnut Creek Police Department has been awarded a $69, 252.00 grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) for a year-long program of special enforcements and public awareness efforts to prevent traffic related deaths and injuries. The Walnut Creek Police Department will use the funding as part of the city&rsquo;s ongoing commitment to keep our roadways safe and improve the quality of life through both enforcement and education.</p>

<p>Chief of Police, Thomas Chaplin: &ldquo;The Walnut Creek Police Department prides itself on maintaining a safe community for our citizens and visitors. Ensuring the safety of our motorists, bicyclists, and pedestrians is a key element of maintaining a safe community and our department is dedicated to the reduction of collisions that occur on our roadways. This grant will assist us in focusing on safe roadways, interacting with citizens to provide education, and arresting offenders who drive under the influence of alcohol and drugs.&rdquo;</p>

<p>After falling to a ten year low in 2010, the number of persons killed has climbed nearly 17% across the state with 3,176 killed in 2015 according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.&nbsp; Particularly alarming is the six year rise in pedestrian and bicycle fatalities, along with the growing dangers of distracting technologies, and the emergence of drug-impaired driving as a major problem. This grant funding will provide opportunities to combat these and other devastating problems such as drunk driving, speeding and crashes at intersections.</p>

<p>&ldquo;Years of research tell us that enforcement and education work best jointly to combat unsafe driving,&rdquo; said OTS Director Rhonda Craft.&nbsp; &ldquo;This grant brings both tactics together, with the Office of Traffic Safety and the Walnut Creek Police Department working in concert to help keep the streets and highways safe across Walnut Creek and the state.&rdquo;</p>

<p>Activities that the grant will fund include:</p>

<ul>
<li>Educational presentations</li>
<li>DUI checkpoints</li>
<li>DUI saturation patrols</li>
<li>Bicycle and pedestrian safety enforcement</li>
<li>Motorcycle safety enforcement</li>
<li>Distracted driving enforcement</li>
<li>Seat belt and child safety seat enforcement</li>
<li>Speed, red light, and stop sign enforcement</li>
<li>Compilation of DUI &ldquo;Hot Sheets,&rdquo; identifying worst-of-the-worst DUI offenders</li>
<li>Specialized DUI and drugged driving training such as Standardized Field Sobriety Testing (SFST), Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement (ARIDE), and Drug Recognition Evaluator (DRE)</li>
<li>Conduct nighttime Click-it-or-ticket enforcement operations.
<p>Funding for this program is from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.</p>

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