Lancaster Station receives $54k grant for traffic enforcement

LANCASTER – Lancaster Station and the city of Lancaster has been awarded a $54,000 grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) for a year-long program aimed at preventing deaths and injuries on the roadways through special enforcement and public awareness efforts.

“These grants are an important part of our traffic safety program here in Lancaster” said Robert Jonsen, Captain of Lancaster Station. “They help us focus on the types of violations that cause collisions and keeping our citizens safe from drivers who drive while under the influence of alcohol or drugs.”

Activities that the grant will fund include:

• Specialized DUI and drugged driving training, such as Standardized Field Sobriety Testing (SFST), Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement (ARIDE), and Drug Recognition Evaluator (DRE).
• DUI Saturation Patrols
• Motorcycle safety enforcement
• Distracted driving enforcement
• Seat belt and child safety seat enforcement
• Speed, red light and stop sign enforcement
• Warrant service operations targeting multiple DUI offenders
• Compilation of DUI “Hot Sheets,” identifying worst-of-the-worst DUI offenders
• Stakeout operations to observe the “worst of the worst” repeat DUI offender probationers with suspended or revoked driver licenses

“Despite the recent increases, California’s roadways are still very much safer than they were before 2006,” said OTS Director Christopher J. Murphy.  “Deputies from Lancaster Station will be keeping the pressure on through enforcement and public awareness so that we can continue saving lives and reach the vision we all share – Toward zero deaths, every 1 counts.”

Funding for this program is from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

(Information via press release from the Lancaster Sheriff’s Station.)

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