ORANGE — The Police Department is in the middle of a series of patrol and education campaigns funded by a state grant.
Police Chief James Sullivan explained he received $12,000 from the state Executive Office of Public Safety and Security’s Office of Grants and Research to create five month-long campaigns in which overtime officers have a primary traffic law focus while on patrol. These campaigns focus on distracted driving, impaired driving and speeding. The grant reimburses the town for the officers’ overtime pay.
“We’re trying to make the streets out here safer, for everybody,” he said.
Sullivan said he split the grant into five $2,400 allotments that paid for 13 four-hour overtime patrols for each campaign. He said January and March focused on impaired driving and April was dedicated primarily to distracted driving. June will focus on speeding and August will be about impaired driving again.
The chief mentioned his officers have discretion to issue citations, as always, though they may choose to better educate motorists on the rules of the road, such as cellphone and seatbelt laws.
According to the state’s website, Massachusetts law requires everyone in a passenger motor vehicle to wear a seatbelt or sit in a child passenger restraint. Any driver stopped by law enforcement for a traffic violation who is not wearing a seatbelt can be fined $25. State law also prohibits operators from using electronics unless the device is used in hands-free mode. Sullivan said all phone use while driving is illegal for operators under 18 years old.
The chief said his officers stopped several drivers for having dogs in their laps during the distracted driving campaign in April. Sullivan said this is dangerous for both the human and the animal. If a dog is in a driver’s lap during an accident and the airbag is deployed, “it’s not going to go well.”
Sullivan said he plans to reapply for this state grant, which he first applied for last year. He mentioned there is another one for street signs and equipment, though he thinks he prefers extra patrols and a focus on education.
“I like the idea of my officers being out interacting with the public,” he said.
Reach Domenic Poli at: dpoli@recorder.com or
413-772-0261, ext. 262.