Date/Time Written:

10/14/200916:20

Type of Incident:

2009/2010 Traffic Safety Grant awarded

Date/Time of Incident:

10/14/200913:00

Location of Incident:

City of Murrieta

Reporting Officer:

Sergeant Jon Flavin

Reporting Officer Phone:

951-304-2677

File Number:

Incident Summary

CITY OF MURRIETA

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:                                            10/14/09

CONTACT: Sergeant Jon Flavin 951-304-2677

MURRIETA POLICE COMMENCE SPECIAL

TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT PROGRAM

More traffic enforcement and safer streets are coming to Murrieta beginning this month thanks to a recent $101,388 grant awarded by the California Office of Traffic Safety.  The purchase of handheld Radar devices and Preliminary Alcohol Screening devices and increased special traffic enforcement measures are on tap for the Murrieta Police Department as law enforcement continues their commitment to keeping our roadways safe through both enforcement and education.

“This grant will further enhance our community’s safety by giving us the tools we need to enhance our efforts at enforcing speed violations, red light violations, seat belt violations, and detecting impaired drivers. All of these create public dangers. The safe movement of traffic in our city is of paramount concern to us and we are proactively addressing it. This grant is a big part of this effort,” said Murrieta Chief of Police Mark Wright.

The Selective Traffic Enforcement Program (STEP) grant is to assist in efforts to deal with increased traffic safety problems and reduce the number of persons killed and injured in traffic collisions.  The grant activities will specifically target DUI offenders, red light enforcement, intersection enforcement, speed enforcement and motorcycle safety.  This will be done through the use of DUI checkpoints, roving DUI patrols, special enforcement activities at intersections and court sting operations.

The grant also provides funding for new handheld Radar devices, Preliminary Alcohol Screening devices and overtime to conduct special enforcement activities.

“Every driver and every motorcyclist must get back to the basics: drive sober, always drive or ride safely, buckle up and we will save lives.  It’s just that simple,” said Christopher J. Murphy, Director of the Office of Traffic Safety.  “This grant will help make Murrieta just that much safer of a place to live and work.”

New this year is the addition of one special Motorcycle Safety Enforcement Operation. Motorcycle fatalities have been on the rise in California, increasing 175 percent statewide in the last decade, from 204 killed in 1998 to 560 killed in 2008. 

Murrieta Police Officers will be conducting specialized enforcement efforts throughout the course of the next year.  Extra officers will be on duty patrolling areas frequented by motorcycles.  Officers will be cracking down on traffic violations made by motorcyclists, and other vehicle drivers, that result in far too many motorcycle collisions, injuries and deaths.

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