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Police chief reports distracted‑driving campaign: 17 citations, 13 warnings
Summary
The police chief briefed council on a distracted‑driving partnership with the highway patrol and said the department issued 17 citations and 13 warnings for texting‑while‑driving as part of the campaign; chief also described training attended in Columbus.
The Canfield police chief (speaker 8) updated council on recent training and an enforcement partnership aimed at reducing distracted driving. The chief said department personnel attended Ohio chiefs of police training and brought back lessons on school safety and active‑shooter response.
On distracted‑driving enforcement, the chief said the city partnered with the highway patrol and has issued 17 citations and 13 warnings for texting while driving as part of a campaign that began in February. The chief reviewed the relevant statute, citing Ohio Revised Code 4511.204, and explained allowable exemptions (answering incoming calls to an ear, use of hands‑free systems, 911 calls, and police performing duties). "We issued 17 citations for driving while texting, 13 warnings," the chief said. Council members asked clarifying questions about what constitutes holding a device while driving and staff clarified that dialing out or physically holding the device while driving is prohibited.
Next steps: the chief said the department will continue education and enforcement work with local partners and return with updates as needed.
