The Governor?s Highway Safety Office (GHSO)has announced that the state will fund High Visibility Law Enforcement Grants to 317 agencies across Tennessee including the Alexandria and Smithville Police Departments. These campaigns will focus on seat belt safety and alcohol countermeasure programs.
A statewide request for applications was issued to all law enforcement agencies throughout Tennessee to conduct High Visibility Law Enforcement Campaigns during the period of October 1, 2006 through September 30, 2007. Each agency that applied is receiving a grant up to $5,000 for a total of $1.5 million in funding. These campaigns will be federally funded through the Tennessee GHSO.
?Impaired driving is the most frequently committed violent crime in the state,? said Governor Bredesen, when approving the grants earlier this month. ?Someone dies in an alcohol related crash every 28 hours. I am proud that we are able to fund these enforcement campaigns to save lives on Tennessee roadways.?
?The population in our great state continues to grow by leaps and bounds,? said Chairman Phillip Pinion, House Transportation Committee. ?We must be diligent in our duties to keep Tennesseans safe on our roadways that are becoming more and more crowded.?
?I?m happy the state is able to support our local communities and law enforcement agencies through this special grant program,? reported House Speaker Jimmy Naifeh.
?This program will make a difference, I believe, for many people because it will touch so many communities across the state,? said Lieutenant Governor John Wilder.
?These high visibility grants will translate into lives saved,? stated Commissioner Gerald Nicely, Tennessee Department of Transportation. ?These grants will make a difference in the day to day safety of Tennesseans.?
?High visibility law enforcement grants will achieve measurable results because law enforcement agencies must make a concerted effort to conduct and participate in sobriety checkpoints, will partner with law enforcement liaison networks, and be involved in other activities that promote highway safety,? added GHSO Director Kendell Poole. Poole explained that each agency will submit data including number of hours officers participate, number of citations and arrests for DUI, seatbelts, speed and misdemeanor and felony charges. The data collected will be transferred to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
The Governor?s Highway Safety Office will continue to search for innovative ways to drive the fatality rates down.
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