The Arizona Governorβs Office of Highway Safety awarded a total of $170,000 to Tucson and Oro Valley police departments for traffic enforcement, including DUI efforts and pedestrian and bicycle safety.
The Tucson Police Departmentβs impaired driver enforcement unit received a $95,000 grant to enhance DUI enforcement efforts, according to a news release.
Additional officers will participate in DUI deployments and saturation patrols with an emphasis during the holidays and on weekends, officials said.
The goal of the deployments is to βincrease the awareness of motorists regarding the dangers of impaired driving, deter those who may be impaired from driving and investigate DUI offenses,β according to authorities.
The funding will allow TPD officers to continue participating in 14 weekend deployments and saturation patrols as part of the Southern Arizona DUI Task Force next year.
TPD also received a $25,000 grant from the state office for bicycle safety enforcement. The enforcement will target violations that have been identified as contributing factors in crashes involving pedestrians and bicyclists, said Tucson police Sgt. Kimberly Bay.
These violations include speeding, failing to yield the right of way, failing to stop for red signal lights and flashing crosswalk lights. Police also will be on the lookout for crosswalk and school-zone violations, jaywalking and pedestrians crossing against traffic lights, and bicyclists riding in the wrong direction and riding on sidewalks.
Bay said about 30 deployments will be scheduled throughout the city next year.
The Oro Valley Police Department received $30,000 in overtime funding for officers who work DUI enforcement and participate with the Southern Arizona DUI Task Force, said Oro Valley police Lt. Chris Olson.
Olson said the state agency also provided the department with $3,000 to buy six new portable Breathalyzers, and $17,000 to purchase radar devices to be mounted on four police motorcycles, and other devices used for traffic enforcement.
