A $60,000 grant will allow the Ceres Police Department to increase patrols and provide other traffic safety programs to help improve road safety.

“This grant funding allows us to support our ongoing traffic safety efforts in the community,” said Ceres Police Department Sgt. Travis Hudson. “Our intent is to stop the most unlawful and dangerous behaviors that put people at risk and create an environment where everyone feels safe traveling. To the everyday driver, we’d like to say that, anytime you’re engaging in something else while driving, you increase your crash risk by two to three times.”

The grant will fund:

• DUI checkpoints and patrols focused on stopping suspected impaired drivers.

• High visibility distracted driving enforcement operations targeting drivers in violation of California’s hands-free cell phone law.

• Enforcement operations focused on the most dangerous driver behaviors.

• 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.

• Enforcement for impaired driving, speeding, 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).

The grant program will run through September 2023.

The grant was provided by the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.