By Kathy Chouteau
The San Pablo Police Department (SPPD) has been awarded a $54,000 grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) to support their efforts in reducing deaths and injuries on city roads.
The one-year grant covers the period from Oct. 1, 2020 to Sept. 30, 2021 and funds a diverse range of traffic safety programs, starting with patrols relating to drug/alcohol impaired driving prevention, California’s hands-free cell phone law, traffic rights for bicyclists/pedestrians and awareness/education regarding the primary causes of crashes, including speeding, failure to yield/stop and improper turning/lane changes.
The OTS grant funding will also support community education presentations on distracted driving, DUI, speed, bicycle and pedestrian safety; collaborations with nearby agencies on traffic safety priorities; and officer training and/or recertification for the Standard Field Sobriety Test, Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement, and Drug Recognition Expert.
“These are trying times, and now more than ever, it is important that we are at the forefront of traffic safety,” said San Pablo Police Chief Ron Raman. “This funding allows us to educate and enhance the safety of all residents.”
As the Standard recently reported, the Richmond Police Department (RPD) also received an OTS grant this month for $215,000 to help institute additional DUI checkpoints and to address other traffic related problems throughout the city. Read our story here.
