Santa Maria Police Department Receives CHP Grant to Combat Impaired Driving
SANTA MARIA, Calif. (KEYT) – The Santa Maria Police Department (SMPD) was one of several local law enforcement agencies to be awarded grant funding by the California Highway Patrol (CHP) to help fight impaired driving.
According to the CHP, it awarded grants to 160 law enforcement agencies to help support enforcement operations and training, as well as conduct public education campaigns through community events and presentations.
CHP added the funding comes through the voter-approved Proposition 64, which directs the department to administer grants for impaired driving education, prevention, and enforcement programs.
“The substantial increase in grant funding this year will help even more communities keep California’s roadways safe,” said CHP Commissioner Sean Duryee. “These grants support education, strengthen enforcement efforts to remove impaired drivers from our roads, and expand research and forensic testing to improve traffic safety across the state.”
Santa Maria Police are just one of many on the Central Coast to receive the grant funding, which Traffic Supervisor Sgt. Shane Armstrong said would be put to good use.
“We were fortunate to receive approval for the grant,” said Armstrong. “We received notification last month. The the grant will help both on the education, enforcement and training side of combating impaired driving within the City of Santa Maria. It allows us to do these extra patrols without any additional funding from the city of Santa Maria, from the taxpayers. The money that we get from this grant just allows us to get out there and combat this issue.”
SMPD was the only Santa Barbara County law enforcement agency to receive CHP funding, while several in San Luis Obispo were awarded including, the SLO County Sheriff’s Office, Paso Robles Police Department, Atascadero Police Department, Morro Bay Police Department, San Luis Obispo Police Department, and Grover Beach Police Department.
Ventura County agencies that were awarded grant funding are Ventura County Sheriff’s Office, Ventura County Forensic Services Bureau and Oxnard Police Department.
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