For City Council Meeting [September 10, 2019]
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council
APPROVAL: Rod Foster, City Administrator
FROM: Mark P. Kling, Chief of Police
Title
Request City Council to Accept California Office of Traffic Safety "Selective Traffic Enforcement Program" Grant in the Amount of $234,000.
Body
BACKGROUND
For the past several years, the City has pursued and been awarded various grants from the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) to help augment its traffic safety efforts. Because of the prolonged nationwide economic decline, more and more agencies are now applying for grant funding making the grant process even more competitive. Without grant assistance, the City does not have the ability to conduct Driver Under the Influence (DUI) checkpoints or staff extra DUI enforcement during peak alcohol consumption periods throughout the year. With grant assistance from OTS, the City has made great strides in making the streets of Rialto safer.
The OTS has also identified distracted driving (cell phone usage, texting, emailing, and driver inattention) as a rapidly increasing cause or contributing factor in the cause of traffic collisions. These distractions and the effects on the driver can reach the levels of impairment often found in DUI motorists.
OTS has awarded the City of Rialto Police Department $234,000 through the Selected Traffic Enforcement Grant Program. The OTS will administer funds for this grant.
ANALYSIS/DISCUSSION
Funds provided by this grant will be utilized to conduct a variety of law enforcement operations and traffic safety programs. The activities will be on an overtime basis for first line officers, supervisors and administrative personnel needed to meet the grant reporting requirements.
There are no matching funds required for this grant. If this grant is accepted, the City will be reimbursed for all grant related law enforcement overtime activities and approved project supplies during the grant operational p...
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