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TRAFFIC SAFETY
TRAFFIC SAFETY: A LIFESAVING PRIORITY OF THE SHERIFFS’ ASSOCIATION | |
The New York State Sheriffs’ Association conducts and supports numerous projects designed to support and enhance traffic safety in New York State. Through its liaison with the Governor’s Traffic Safety Council (GTSC) the Association regularly communicates with the GTSC staff; monitors the progress of proposals and grant projects of individual Sheriffs’ Offices; assists individual Sheriffs Offices in preparing proposals for funding; researches, develops and prepares proposals and budgets for funding; administers grant contracts, develops and provides specialized training programs; and reviews and evaluates all Selective Traffic Law Enforcement proposals submitted by New York State law enforcement agencies for GTSC funding consideration. During the past several years the Association has developed numerous successful proposals; has secured funding in excess of 1.75 million dollars; and has coordinated a variety of traffic safety related projects designed to assist our Sheriffs. Those include the “Statewide Traffic Safety Initiative” the “Regional Safety Belt Convincer Project,” the “Multi-County Underage Drinking and Driving Program I&II,” the “Managing the Message” Public Relations Training Program, the “Contemporary Traffic/Terrorism Training Project,” the “Car-Deer Crash Prevention Project,” the “Cooperative Rural Safety Initiative” and the “Instilling Traffic Safety Habits for a Lifetime Program”. Some of these projects directly reimburse the Sheriffs’ Offices for overtime enforcement activities while others involve traffic safety related training and equipment. All of these programs are provided through the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee grants, at no cost to the participating Sheriffs. In 2006, the Association secured $159,509 in federal highway safety funding, to support traffic problem identification issues in a rural section of the State and to purchase 800 bicycle safety helmets for the children attending the Sheriffs’ Summer Camp for disadvantaged children at Keuka Lake, in Yates County. In addition, a brochure dealing with the unique hazards of driving on rural roads was developed, printed and distributed throughout the State. Over $300,000 in additional highway safety funding was secured by the Association in 2007 to support the overtime selective traffic enforcement activities of seven (Livingston, Ontario, Seneca, Steuben, Wayne, Wyoming and Yates) rural counties as well as providing related equipment. In addition five Sheriff’s Offices (Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence) received specialized training, equipment and overtime to combat the problems of underage drinking and driving in their jurisdictions. These projects are all continuing in Federal Fiscal Year -2008 (10/01/07-9/30/08) with $360,931.00 in support provided by the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee. | Call for 2008 “MADD Recognition Award” Nominations |
