CPD will target certain roads with traffic enforcement grant
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
The Columbia Police Department said Tuesday that it will target some roads for enhanced traffic enforcement thanks to a Missouri Department of Transportation grant.
CPD said on Twitter that it received a $20,000 Hazardous Moving Violation grant from MoDOT's Highway Traffic and Safety Division and National Highway Traffic Safety Association.
The H.M.V. grant allows officers to work overtime while focusing on hazardous moving violations as they’ve seen an increase of fatal crashes in Columbia. In 2018 Columbia had nine deaths and 13 preliminary deaths in 2019.
According to MoDOT and CPD, they will focus on hazardous moving violations like speeding, following too close, failing to yield, stop signal and sign violations as they could lead to an injury or fatal crash.
“So we are seeing a little bit of an upswing in those pedestrian and driving-related fatalities that we are really trying to combat,” said Mandy Kliethermes, MoDOT’s Grant Manager.
In CPD’s municipality from 2016 to 2018, Columbia ranked 5th in fatal deaths for their population. CPD said they requested the grant to reduce serious injury and fatal crashes by increasing patrols in the areas that are high crash areas.
“We take those high rankings municipalities and if there’s a want and a plan for their enforcement then we will grant them funds,” said Kliethermes.
MoDOT says patrolling is not one of the police department’s main focuses but this grant really gives officers a set to-do list.
“When they’re on overtime provided by this funding they are not taking calls,” said Kliethermes. “They are strictly enforcing the laws of the road.”
MoDOT says they don’t want officers just handing out tickets as there is a large education piece to the grant as well.
“We don’t look at citations,” said Kliethermes. “We look at contacts. I don’t care if you give them a warning. I don’t care if you give warnings all day long, have that contact. Have that communication with that person so it can be an educational experience too.”
The grant money will be used for operations on Grindstone Parkway, Rock Quarry Road, Broadway, Providence Road, Stadium Boulevard, Paris Road, Interstate 70, Highway 63, Business Loop 70, Rangeline Street, Vandiver Drive and Clark Lane.
This is not the first time CPD has received this grant. MoDOT officials say CPD has done really good work and will continue to fund their efforts.
The news comes a week after a pedestrian was killed while crossing Paris Road in a hit-and-run crash.
