The San Fernando Police Department (SFPD) received a $74,000 grant last week to support traffic safety operations and education programs at a time when residents still have concerns about the fatal car collisions that occurred last year.
The grant was awarded to the department by the California Office of Traffic Safety. With the funds, the SFPD will provide several additional programs and services, including driving under the influence (DUI) checkpoints, distracted driving operations targeting drivers in violation of the hands-free cell phone law, enforcement operations focused on top violations that cause crashes and community presentations on traffic safety issues.
These programs began on Monday, May 12, and will continue until September.
SFPD Commander CJ Chiasson told the San Fernando Valley Sun/el Sol that the department will also be participating in the Click It or Ticket campaign until June 7, but the grant will be used primarily for DUI checkpoints and enforcement.
“A few days ago, we had a DUI that was in the daytime, which is pretty rare,” Chiasson said. “We’ve had a couple of traffic collisions involving DUI drivers … so we want to try and reduce that by letting people know we’re out here doing DUI enforcement. … With ride shares nowadays, people have a lot of options, so drinking and driving won’t be tolerated.”
Chiasson also shared that they will send some of their newer officers to sobriety test courses, where they will learn about the different types of drug impairment.
While the grant money will be used for these traffic operations, it won’t be used for the improvement of traffic lights or signs. City of San Fernando residents have raised concerns over traffic safety, especially after a fatal two-car collision that occurred in the area last year.
Residents have noted that there are streets where speeding is frequent and additional traffic lights and speed limit signage, including large digital signage that warn people to slow down, could make a difference.
On July 15 last year, a teen driver who reportedly ran a red light and was going double the speed limit struck the car that residents Yadira and Marcos Caamal were in at the San Fernando Mission Boulevard and Hollister Street intersection. Yadira Caamal, 45, died that same night while her 48-year-old husband was hospitalized and remained in a coma for more than three weeks before he succumbed to his injuries on Aug. 9.
As previously reported by the San Fernando Valley Sun/el Sol, SFPD Chief Fabian Valdez described the incident as “devastating” and said in a statement: “As part of its ongoing efforts to enhance public and traffic safety, the San Fernando Police Department will be reallocating Department resources to include increased traffic enforcement activities. These efforts … include conducting DUI checkpoints and saturation patrols for DUI enforcement beginning in August.”
Although the grant funds aren’t being used to target speeding drivers in particular, Chiasson said that watching for unsafe drivers is still part of the SFPD officers’ everyday responsibilities.
“If [other grants] come up that are available, we can try to apply for them,” he said. “We’re always looking for ways to enhance safety.”