The Newport Beach Police Department received a $250,000 grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) for a one-year enforcement and education program. The money will fund various activities intended to reduce deaths and injuries on California roads. The grant-related activities are for the 2020 federal fiscal year, which runs from Oct. 1, 2019 to Sept. 30, 2020.
“By partnering with the OTS, our Department is committed to making the streets of Newport Beach as safe as possible. The grant funds awarded to us by OTS are an effective force multiplier, thereby allowing us to concentrate on preventing tragedies while making a positive impact for those who live, work, and play in the City of Newport Beach,” said Lieutenant Joe Cartwright, the Traffic Services Commander for the Newport Beach Police Department.
Funding from the OTS will be used for numerous programs, including:
- DUI/driver’s license checkpoints.
- Patrols specifically looking for suspected alcohol and/or drug-impaired drivers.
- Patrols targeting violations of California’s hands-free cell phone law and vehicle code violations by drivers, motorcyclists, bicyclists and pedestrians that put other roadway users at risk.
- Patrols targeting the primary causes of crashes: speeding, improper turns, running stop signs or signals, right-of-way violations and driving on the wrong side of the road.
- Patrols specifically looking for seatbelt and child safety seat violations.
- Traffic safety education presentations for youth and community members on distracted and impaired driving, bicycle and pedestrian safety.
- Creating “Hot Sheets” identifying repeat DUI offenders.
- Officer training to identify suspected impaired drivers and conduct sobriety tests.
“Getting in a vehicle remains one of the most dangerous things we do,” OTS director Barbara Rooney said. “We must continue to work with our partners in law enforcement to shift that realization and make traveling on our roads safer.”
Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
