LA MESA POLICE DEPARTMENT AWARDED $96,000 GRANT FROM THE OFFICE OF TRAFFIC SAFETY

Source:  City of La Mesa

November 15, 2021 (La Mesa) - The La Mesa Police Department will roll out a police traffic services program to deter dangerous and illegal driving behaviors that increase the risk of crashes in the community.

“Impairment, speeding and other dangerous driving behaviors jeopardize the safety of other people on the road,” Chief of Police Ray Sweeney said. “This funding allows us to provide necessary traffic enforcement measures with the goal of reducing serious injury and fatal crashes on our roads.”

The La Mesa Police Department is asking for the public’s help to further its commitment to the “Vision Zero” initiative – zero traffic deaths or severe injuries among all road users. The grant will pay for additional enforcement measures, including:

• DUI checkpoints and patrols specifically focused on suspected impaired drivers.
• Enforcement operations focused on suspected distracted drivers in violation of California’s hands-free cell phone law.
• Bicycle and pedestrian safety enforcement operations focused on driver behaviors that put vulnerable road users at risk.
• Enforcement operations focused on top violations that cause crashes: speeding, failure to yield, stop sign and/or red-light running, and improper turning or lane changes.
• Conduct Know Your Limit campaigns with an effort to reach members of the community.
• Collaborative enforcement efforts with neighboring agencies.
• Officer training and/or recertification: Drug Recognition Expert (DRE).
• Conduct highly publicized Motorcycle Safety enforcement operation(s) in areas or during events with a high number of motorcycle incidents or crashes resulting from unsafe speed, DUI, following too closely, unsafe lane changes, improper turning, and other primary crash factor violations by motorcyclists and other drivers.

The grant program will run through September 2022.

Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.