Sheriff A.J. “Tim” Rodenberg has announced the Ohio Department of Public Safety’s Office of Criminal Justice Services awarded $43,078.31 in federal traffic safety funding to the Clermont County Sheriff’s Office for federal fiscal year 2014-2015.
“These funds enable our office to focus on areas of concern and keep our local community safe,” said Sheriff Rodenberg. “Our deputies will be out patrolling for impaired drivers, distracted drivers and other unsafe behavior to reduce the injuries and deaths on our roadways. We appreciate the support from our partners at the state level to target this public safety concern.”
Crash data from the Ohio Department of Public Safety shows that 618 alcohol related crashes caused 326 injuries and 22 fatalities in Clermont County over a three-year period of 2011, 2012 and 2013.
In an attempt to reduce these numbers, the Clermont County Sheriff’s Office will be working overtime hours conducting impaired driving and selective traffic enforcement patrols and participating in awareness events with grant funds.
The funds are passed through OCJS from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to support the efforts of safety partners statewide and focus on traffic safety priority areas such as restraint use, impaired driving, motorcycle safety and distracted driving.
Competitive grant proposals are accepted and reviewed by OCJS, with funds awarded to projects that will have the greatest impact on reducing fatal crashes or significantly improving traffic safety systems.
For more information about the Office of Criminal Justice Services and statewide efforts to improve safety on Ohio’s roadways, log on to www.ocjs.ohio.gov.