Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Traffic Safety topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Sheriff seeks federal grant to fund Allegany County traffic enforcement and highway safety unit
Summary
The Allegany County sheriff asked the committee to approve applying for a BJA grant to fund a Traffic Enforcement and Highway Safety Unit to address crashes, impaired and distracted driving; the sheriff listed equipment needs and requested a full-time position to provide consistent traffic enforcement.
Sheriff Cicirello told the Public Safety Committee he plans to apply for a Bureau of Justice Assistance grant to establish a Traffic Enforcement and Highway Safety Unit targeting drunk, drugged, distracted and aggressive driving in Allegany County.
Cicirello said the county currently has no dedicated traffic enforcement officers and pointed to recurring crash and fatality issues on corridors such as County Road 12 and State Route 417 near Alfred State College when students travel. He said legalization of marijuana and other changes have increased instances of impaired driving and that his office lacks personnel trained to recognize drug impairment.
The sheriff listed equipment the grant would cover, including license-plate readers, a speed trailer, Radar and LiDAR devices, mobile data and in-car camera systems, plus two marked vehicles. He said a flex work schedule would be used to cover events and school periods and that the grant could offset traffic-related services the sheriff’s office currently provides to the county Department of Public Works and for local events.
Committee members asked about work schedules and overtime; Cicirello said staffing plans would include flexible schedules but could not guarantee overtime. The committee agreed to add the traffic grant request to the Public Safety Committee afternoon agenda for further review of costs and operational details.
