TO: Mayor and Commissioners
FROM: Mary Olsen, Police Department
THROUGH: Mark R. Lauzier, City Manager
DATE: October 16, 2018
Title
APPROVAL OF GRANT APPLICATION AND AWARD/FDOT/SPEED/AGGRESSIVE DRIVING ENFORCEMENT PROGRAM
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Recommended Action:
Recommendation
Motion to Approve application for the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) FY 18/19 Speed/Aggressive Driving Enforcement program.
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Background:
The Police Department is requesting approval to submit an application and accept an award for the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) FY 18/19 Speed/Aggressive Driving Enforcement program. Funding from this grant provides for overtime salary for officers that will engage in speed/aggressive driving enforcement activities. The Delray Beach Police Department believes that this funding will help to provide the citizens of Delray Beach with safer roads.
FDOT’s Highway Safety Program is designed to develop, implement, and manage a data-driven comprehensive traffic safety program aimed at saving lives, preventing injuries, and reducing related costs associated with traffic crashes on Florida’s roadways. The Delray Beach Police Department seeks to protect the citizens of the City by increasing education and enforcement of highway safety regulations. This grant will provide funding support for those efforts. During the duration of the program, the members of the Police Department's Traffic Division/Motors Unit will conduct high visibility enforcement at major intersections where the majority of crashes occur in the City of Delray Beach. The unit will deploy to documented roadways where speeding is a problem and vigorously conduct speed enforcement utilizing education, and through the issuance of warnings and citations.
In the past 3 years, from 2015 through 2017, the City of Delray Beach has seen a large increase in vehicular crashes that resulted in serious injuries. These crashes occurred due to speeding and aggressive drivers and the rise of residents and vacationers who visit the downtown area. Delray Beach is currently ranked 4th for Speed/Aggressive driving and 13th for Serious Injuries and Fatalities in the FDOT Highway Safety Matrix. According to F.I.R.E.S (Florida's Integrated Report Exchange System) traffic fatalities increased in Florida from 2,941 in 2015 to 3,114 in 2017. The City of Delray Beach has been directly impacted by these trends having 19 traffic fatalities from 2015 to 2017. It is this agency's goal to increase safety awareness and reduce injury accidents. The Department was awarded a similar grant for FY 2010, FY 2014, FY 2015, FY 2017, and those efforts were successful.
If FDOT approves our application, we will be awarded $50,000 for the education and enforcement efforts, however we are seeking approval to accept award up to requested amount of $100,000. The activities under this grant, if awarded, will start in fiscal year 18/19.
City Attorney Review:
Approved as to form and legal sufficiency.
Funding Source/Financial Impact:
001-21-110-521.14-20 (General Fund: Reimbursable overtime ) contingent upon FY 18/19 approved budget and allocation of funds.