Pasadena Police Receive $462,900 in State Grants for Traffic Enforcement, Study

The Pasadena Police Department has received two grants totaling $462,900 from the California Office of Traffic Safety to be used toward traffic enforcement and improving traffic data reporting, the agency announced Monday.

One of the grants totals $339,000 and will be used to operate a “police traffic services program to deter dangerous and illegal driving behaviors that increase the risk of collisions in the city,” police said in a written statement.

Such behaviors include speeding and intoxicated driving, according to Lt. Anthony Russo.

“This funding allows us to provide necessary traffic enforcement measures with the goal of reducing serious injury and fatal crashes on our roads,” he said.

The program is scheduled to continue through September of next year.

It will include DUI checkpoints and patrols; distracted driving enforcement campaigns; bicycle and pedestrian safety enforcement operations; warrant services; “Know Your Limit” awareness events; motorcycle safety; community education presentations; and officer training and recertification, officials said.

The second grant amounts to $123,900 and is intended to purchase a new electronic crash and citation data reporting system, Russo said.

“Accurate and timely data is critical to understanding the nature of the biggest traffic safety issues in our community and the best ways to address them,” he said. “We are grateful for this funding from the OTS, which allows us to report data efficiently and effectively.”

Both grants were provided by the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.