Menlo Park PD Awarded $80,000 Traffic Safety Grant

MENLO PARK, CA — Aiming to reduce deaths and injuries on state roads, the California Office of Traffic Safety awarded a $81,000 grant to the Menlo Park Police Department to fund a yearlong enforcement and public awareness program, the department announced Wednesday.

"We know that it is traffic violations that lead to crashes and with this increased enforcement we will strive to lower the amount of crashes in Menlo Park and San Mateo County," Menlo Park police chief Dave Bertini said in a statement. "This grant funding assists the Menlo Park Police Department in achieving the goals in our traffic strategic plan."

Programs funded by the grant will include:

• DUI/driver's license checkpoints;
• Patrols for alcohol or drug-impaired drivers;
• Patrols for people using cell phones will driving;
• Patrols targeting other safety risks like speeding, improper turns and running stop signs;
• Patrols for seatbelt and child safety seat violations;
• Traffic safety education presentations;
• Serving warrants to repeat DUI offenders and creating sheets to identify the offenders;
• Training to help officers identify impaired drivers;