Full Notification

                                                                                
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                   
October 1, 2020 

CONTACT:
Sergeant Nick McGowan 
Traffic Division
707-778-4596
 
Petaluma Police Department  Awarded $50,000.00 Grant From the OTS
                                               
Petaluma, Calif. – The safety of everyone traveling is the focus of a grant awarded to Petaluma. The $50,000.00 grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) will assist in Petaluma Police Department’s efforts to reduce deaths and injuries on Sonoma County roads.
 
“The City of Petaluma appreciate the OTS’ continued commitment to the community of Petaluma and our traffic safety program.  These are trying times, and now more than ever, it is important that we are at the forefront of traffic safety,” Petaluma Police Department Sergeant Nick McGowan  said.
 
The one-year grant is for the 2021 federal fiscal year, which runs from Oct. 1, 2020 to Sept. 30, 2021.
 
The grant will fund a variety of traffic safety programs, including:

• Patrols with emphasis on alcohol and drug-impaired driving prevention.
• Patrols with emphasis on awareness and education of California’s hands-free cell phone law.
• Patrols with emphasis on education of traffic rights for bicyclists and pedestrians.
• Patrols with emphasis on awareness and education of primary causes of crashes: excess speed, failure to yield, failure to stop at stop signs/signals, improper turning/lane changes.
• Officer training and/or recertification: Standard Field Sobriety Test (SFST), Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement (ARIDE) and Drug Recognition Expert (DRE).

“Through education and behavior changes, we hope to create an environment that is safe and equitable for all road users in our community,” Sergeant Nick McGowan  said.
 
Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.