Staff Writer
PRESQUE ISLE – Grants totaling $12,000 will enable the Presque Isle Police Department to improve public safety through a number of details targeting those who drink and drive, travel without a seatbelt or choose to go over the posted speed limit. “The Presque Isle Police Department recently applied for and received three highway safety-related grants awarded through the Maine Bureau of Highway Safety,” said Sgt. Joey Seeley, project manager for all three grants.
According to Seeley, $5,000 was awarded to the department for OUI enforcement.
“Officers of the department will be working scheduled roving patrol details as well as two roadblocks from now until September 30. Officers will be looking primarily for operators who are operating under the influence of intoxicating liquor and/or drugs,” said Seeley.
Seeley said the department urges motorists to drink responsibly and designate a driver if they are going to be consuming alcoholic beverages.
A second grant for $5,000 was awarded to the department for speed enforcement.
“Officers of the PIPD have been utilizing on-duty staff during the last year or so to target areas where complaints have been received in regard to speeding motorists. This grant will allow the department to pay officers overtime to work the assigned details specifically searching for speeding motorists,” said Seeley.
Officers will be working both roving patrols as well as stationary laser details from now until September 30, added Seeley.
“LASER or LIDAR is a speed-measuring device which allows officers to get speeds of specific vehicles rather than the first vehicle in line,” explained Seeley.
Since the department started the details last year, it has seen a drastic reduction in speeding motor vehicles – especially in the downtown area.
With business growing in the heart of town, pedestrian safety was an increasing concern, as some motorists failed to keep their speed down as they passed through town.
But since officers began to do periodic speed details around town, the speed of traffic has dropped considerably.
“Since we began checking for speeders, the department has noticed traffic slowing down in town,” said Chief Naldo Gagnon, of the PIPD.
“We’re hoping motorists will continue to abide by the posted speed limits,” said Seeley, noting not everyone abides by the law. “During one LIDAR detail last week the department stopped 59 motor vehicles, which resulted in 27 motor speeding summonses being issued.”
The final grant for $2,000 was awarded to the PIPD for high-visibility seatbelt enforcement from May 19 through June 1.
“The PIPD is joining hundreds of other state and local law enforcement and highway safety officials across the nation during the 2008 national ‘Click it or Ticket’ seatbelt enforcement mobilization to enforce seatbelt laws and reduce highway fatalities,” said Seeley.
This year’s efforts will focus on drivers traveling both in the daytime and at night.
“The 2008 mobilization will feature a renewed emphasis on day and night enforcement, as well as a comprehensive effort to enforce seatbelt laws among all motorists,” said Seeley.
A recent change in state law allows officers to stop and summons any driver or passenger of a motor vehicle who is found not wearing a seatbelt. Seeley said while it’s a law to wear seatbelts, travelers should be using them simply for the fact they’ve been proven to save lives.
“When worn correctly, seatbelts have proven to reduce the risk of fatal injury to front-seat passenger car occupants by 45 percent and by 60 percent in pickup trucks, sport utility vehicles and minivans. Nationally in 2006, 77 percent of passenger vehicle occupants involved in a fatal crash, who were buckled up, survived the crash,” said Seeley.
