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CONSIDERATION OF ACCEPTANCE OF A GRANT IN THE AMOUNT OF $91,500 FROM THE OKLAHOMA HIGHWAY SAFETY OFFICE (OHSO) TO BE USED BY THE NORMAN POLICE DEPARTMENT TO CONDUCT HIGH-VISIBILITY ENFORCEMENT, HIGH VISIBILITY SATURATION PATROLS, INFORMATION / EDUCATION CAMPAIGNS DIRECTED TOWARD TRAFFIC SAFETY, AND PARTICIPATION IN OHSO MOBILIZATIONS; APPROVAL OF CONTRACT K-1920-85; AND BUDGET APPROPRIATION FROM THE SPECIAL GRANTS FUND BALANCE.
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BACKGROUND: The Oklahoma Highway Safety Office (OHSO) has informed the Norman Police Department that it has been awarded a $91,500 grant. The money is allocated for Police Traffic Services, high-visibility traffic enforcement, high-visibility saturation patrols, and education activities which will focus on those violations that cause or contribute to injury and fatality collisions. Specifically, funding is directed toward locations associated with injury and fatality collisions, aggressive driving actions, occupant protection enforcement, and high concentrations of pedestrian/bicycle traffic.
DISCUSSION: The Norman Police Department will utilize full time officers in an overtime capacity to conduct distracted driving, seatbelt and child restraint enforcement, and education activities. Additional overtime efforts will be used to conduct pedestrian, bicycle and vehicle traffic enforcement and education operations. Activities are intended to increase compliance with traffic laws and to reduce the number of collisions and injuries resulting from motor vehicle collisions. Enforcement activities will be directed by Data Driven Approaches to Crime and Traffic Safety (DDACTS) analysis which identifies high-crime and high-collision areas, by identified locations of citizen complaints, and by recognized high-risk zones (e.g., schools, hospitals, day cares, etc.). Education activities will focus on general public safety announcements and more specific target-population based initiatives. Efforts will also include traffic safety and sobriety checkpoints, “No Refusal” weekends, high-visibility saturation patrols during holidays and special events (such as “Operation Cadence”), and OHSO mobilizations (“Click It or Ticket” and “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over”). Educational efforts will include presentations, press releases, social media announcements, and non-enforcement citizen outreach projects.
The Norman Police Department will supply the Oklahoma Highway Safety Office with enforcement and education statistics on a monthly basis as stated in the attached contract between Oklahoma Highway Safety Office and the City of Norman. Funding reimbursement will continue through September 30, 2020.
RECOMMENDATION: It is recommended that City Council accept the grant, approve the contract, and appropriate $91,500 from the Special Grant Fund balance (022-0000-253.20-00); and designate $91,500 to Overtime (account 022-6019-421.21-10; Traffic Enforcement Project GP0124). It is further recommended that upon reimbursement, the funds be deposited into Other Revenue/Traffic & Alcohol Enforcement (022-0000-331.13-40).