Laguna Beach Police Department Awarded $190,000 Grant from the Office of Traffic Safety 

The Laguna Beach Police Department will roll out a traffic plan to deter dangerous and illegal driving behaviors that increase the risk of crashes in the community.

“Driving under the influence, excessive speed and other dangerous driving behaviors cause an elevated risk for our community and other motorists on the road,” Sergeant Randy Bitonti said. “This funding provides the Laguna Beach Police Department with the ability to increase resources towards traffic enforcement and education with the ultimate goal of reducing injury and fatal traffic accidents on our roadways.”

The grant will pay for the following:

· DUI checkpoints and patrols specifically focused on impaired drivers.
· Enforcement operations focused on distracted drivers.
· Bicycle and pedestrian safety enforcement operations.
· Enforcement operations focused on top violations that cause crashes: speeding, failure to yield, stop sign and/or red-light violations, and improper turning or lane changes.
· Community education presentations on traffic safety issues such as distracted driving, DUI, speeding, and bicycle and pedestrian safety.
· Officer training and/or recertification: Standard Field Sobriety Test (SFST), Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement (ARIDE), and Drug Recognition Expert (DRE).
· The purchase of traffic/ speed enforcement devices and a police motorcycle.

The grant program will run through September 2024.

Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.