A grant that was written earlier this year has been approved for the cost of overtime for extra patrols on local roadways, with the goal of making Pickaway County fatal-free. Over the past three years, the average number of motor vehicle crash fatalities has increased slightly. The Sheriff’s Office hopes that the county can improve this number by continuing to add extra law enforcement patrols to major highways and roadways throughout Pickaway County. By increasing law enforcement’s presence, it is believed that there will be less impaired driving incidents, speed limits will be observed, and seat belt use will increase. All of which are major factors in motor vehicle crashes and deaths. The Pickaway County Sheriff’s Office has received a High Visibility Enforcement Overtime grant (HVEO) over the past several years, and has seen many successes as a result of the program. This year, the grant has been divided to specifically attack those areas of traffic enforcement that need to be addressed such as an Impaired Driving Enforcement Program (IDEP) and a Selective Traffic Enforcement Program (STEP). The total amount of monies to be received is $30,621.25.
The grant is provided by the Ohio Department of Public Safety with funds from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The Sheriff’s Office will use the funds to add extra patrols to local highways during holidays, specific high traffic events, and national campaigns such as “Click It or Ticket” and “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over”.
“The funds from these grants are extremely important to our goal of making our highways and roadways safer through enforcement”, noted Sheriff Robert Radcliff. “Without these funds, we would have to be much more creative in our efforts, and we may not be able to have the number of patrols that we feel are needed to assist in the overall safety of our citizens and visitors that travel in and through our community.”
The Sheriff’s Office will work diligently through the month of October with the pending Circleville Pumpkin Show and the Halloween Enforcement period to keep local roadways safe. The Sheriff’s Office is the holder of the Safe Communities of Pickaway County program that works to promote and provide education of traffic safety. Through enforcement and education, the Sheriff’s Office hopes to reach the goal of zero motor vehicle fatalities in Pickaway County.
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