12/1/2009 10:00:00 PM Chino Valley PD earns grants
By LISA IRISH
The Arizona Governor's Office of Highway Safety awarded the Chino Valley Police Department three grants totaling $56,771.70 for equipment and overtime to take action against aggressive and impaired drivers and speeders, and to enforce other highway safety laws.
These grants should help Chino Valley Police reach its goal to reduce traffic-related injuries and fatalities by 7 percent in 2010, said Commander Mark Garcia of the Chino Valley Police Department. The grant requires no matching money from the Town of Chino Valley.
Chino Valley Police will buy a new fully-equipped 2009 Honda ST1300P police motorcycle and new radar speed detection devices with some of the grant money, Garcia said. This new motorcycle joins the Harley Davidson police motorcycle that the department bought with a grant a few years ago, Garcia said.
"This will enable both our motorcycle-trained officers to work traffic," Garcia said. "Motorcycles are easier to work traffic with because of their mobility."
The department will also create a traffic collision investigation team with some of the grant money, Garcia said.
"In the past, we relied on assistance from Prescott police and the Arizona Department of Public Safety to conduct serious collision investigations," Garcia said.
Chino Valley Police will buy an Accident Investigation Measuring System and accident investigation software with some of the grant money, Garcia said. Two officers currently attend accident reconstruction school, he added.
"This will help us get equipment there faster, investigate, and open the roads more quickly," Garcia said.
Chino Valley Police will use the overtime to put more officers on targeted enforcement details to enforce speeding, aggressive and impaired drivers, and seatbelt and child restraint violations, Garcia said.
Officers working these targeted enforcement details will have zero tolerance for those infractions, Garcia said.
"Seatbelt and child restraint violations have increased in the past year," Garcia said. "We just want to get people to understand the necessity of using child restraints and seatbelts to decrease injuries."
In addition, the Chino Valley Police Department will continue to participate with the Tri-City DUI Task Force during the holidays.
Reader Comments
Posted: Wednesday, December 02, 2009
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Good for them. Although - seat belt laws for adults are wrong.
Posted: Wednesday, December 02, 2009
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How in the heck does one EARN a government grant for equipment?
