SAN MATEO: POLICE DEPARTMENT RECEIVES GRANT FOR TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT


SAN MATEO (BCN)
The San Mateo Police Department is cracking down on traffic violations to decrease the number of fatal crashes and drunken drivers with the help of a $91,000 grant, according to a police sergeant.
The year-long Selective Traffic Enforcement Program will consist of targeting impaired drivers, red light runners, unsafe speed violations and seat belt violations, as well as reducing the number of hit-and-run collisions, San Mateo police Sgt. Bob Szelenyi said today.
The program is designed to "compliment our existing traffic enforcement efforts, along with the overall effort to increase neighborhood safety," Szelenyi said.
This year to date, the Police Department has handled six fatal crashes and made 244 DUI arrests, according to Szelenyi.
"Traffic enforcement is vital to the safety of our community," Szelenyi said.
The Police Department is especially making DUI arrests a priority during the holiday season, by holding checkpoints and initiating DUI strike teams, according to Szelenyi.
The California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration provided funding for the grant, according to Szelenyi.
(© 2007 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. In the interest of timeliness, this story is fed directly from the Associated Press newswire and may contain occasional typographical errors. )