Grant funds to boost Cottonwood PD traffic safety, enforcement efforts

COTTONWOOD – The Cottonwood Police Department recently received $33,641 grant-in-aid funding from the Arizona Governor’s Office of Highway Safety for DUI and traffic safety enforcement.

The grants were awarded Oct. 1 and will be funded through Sept. 30, 2021.

The department will use $18,000 to fund officers’ overtime to conduct more year-round DUI saturation patrols and checkpoints.

The department will use $10,000 to cover officer’s overtime through Selective Traffic Enforcement Patrols (STEP). These STEP’s focus on a variety of safety-related moving violations and traffic offenses including the prohibited use of handheld devices while driving.

The remaining $5,641 will be used to purchase one Radar Speed Sign to enhance Selective Traffic Enforcement throughout the City of Cottonwood and a Laser/Lidar speed measurement device that will be used to equip a motorcycle officer with a portable speed measurement device for traffic enforcement.

The goal of the selective enforcement and DUI patrols are not only to locate violators of the law but to also increase public awareness and remind motorists of traffic laws, which serve a purpose to reduce and prevent vehicle accidents and fatalities.