$200K Awarded To SMC Police Department For Traffic Safety Enforcement

SAN MATEO, CA — The San Mateo Police Department received a $200,000 grant to bolster current enforcement and education programs aimed at reducing serious injuries and deaths on local roads.

"This funding will strengthen our commitment to public safety in our community," San Mateo Police Department Sergeant Nick Ryan said. "This grant provides the opportunity for our department to increase enforcement and education efforts. It helps to keep our roads safer for everyone and allows us to focus on violations such as distracted driving, impaired driving, speeding, and other violations which are contributing factors in collisions."

The grant will provide additional programs and resources, including DUI checkpoints and patrols focused on stopping suspected impaired drivers, and high-visibility distracted driving enforcement operations targeting drivers in violation of California’s hands-free cell phone law.

The resources will also fund enforcement operations focused on the most dangerous driver behaviors that put the safety of people biking or walking at risk, as well as operations targeting top violations that cause crashes: speeding, failure to yield, stop sign and/or red-light running, and improper turning or lane changes.

Furthermore, the grant supports community presentations on traffic safety issues such as distracted driving, impaired driving, speeding, and bicycle and pedestrian safety, collaborative enforcement efforts with neighboring agencies, and officer training and recertification.

The grant program will run through September 2026. Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.