Rohnert Park DPS, Santa Rosa PD Awarded Traffic Safety Grants

ROHNERT PARK AND SANTA ROSA, CA — The Rohnert Park Department of Public Safety and Santa Rosa Police Department have been awarded grants from the California Office of Traffic Safety to roll out police traffic services programs to deter dangerous and illegal driving behaviors that increase the risk of crashes in their respective cities.

The Rohnert Park Department of Public Safety was awarded a $64,000 grant and the Santa Rosa Police Department was awarded a $300,000 grant.

"I am thankful the Department of Public Safety has been able to partner with the Office of Traffic Safety in keeping our community safe," said Rohnert Park police Chief Tim Mattos. "We have been able to allocate many hours of focused enforcement due to our continued relationship."

According to news releases from both police departments, the grant programs run through September 2022 and the funding will pay for additional enforcement measures, including:

• DUI checkpoints and patrols specifically focused on suspected impaired drivers.
• Enforcement operations focused on suspected distracted drivers in violation of California’s hands-free cell phone law.
• Bicycle and pedestrian safety enforcement operations focused on driver behaviors that put vulnerable road users at risk.
• Enforcement operations focused on top violations that cause crashes: speeding, failure to yield, stop sign and/or red-light running, and improper turning or lane changes.
• Community education presentations on traffic safety issues such as distracted driving, DUI, speeding, and bicycle and pedestrian safety.
• Officer training and/or recertification: Standard Field Sobriety Test (SFST), Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement (ARIDE) and Drug Recognition Expert (DRE).

"Impairment, speeding and other dangerous driving behaviors jeopardize the safety of other people on the road," said Rohnert Park DPS Deputy Chief Aaron Johnson. "This funding allows us to provide necessary traffic enforcement measures with the goal of reducing serious injury and fatal crashes on our roads."

• SEE ALSO: Petaluma Police Awarded $50K Traffic Safety Grant