Poughkeepsie… Dutchess County Executive William R. Steinhaus has announced just over $109,000 will be distributed to 15 law enforcement agencies/municipalities throughout the county to add more road patrols through the 2010 Selective Traffic Enforcement Program (STEP). The Dutchess County Traffic Safety Board allocates grant funding to support police patrols dedicated to targeting speeding and unsafe driving behaviors.

“Many of the motor vehicle crashes in our communities can be directly attributed to speeding and other aggressive driving behaviors,” said County Executive Steinhaus.  “This funding helps make Dutchess County roadways safer for our residents by putting police officers out on the street to target drivers whose aggressive actions may lead to serious accidents.”

The Dutchess County Traffic Safety Board has appropriated $109,172 of grant funding made available through the New York State Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee. Dedicated patrols will be deployed throughout the year during those periods of time when the most crashes occur statistically. Included in the grant appropriations is $17,372 for the purchase of equipment to assist law enforcement with the detection and identification of violators.

Law enforcement officers throughout Dutchess County will target high risk aggressive driving behaviors including speeding, red light running, failure to yield right of way, following too closely, and unsafe passing.  

The Dutchess County Traffic Safety Board is a coalition of law enforcement, education, health and service agencies and individuals appointed by the County Executive and confirmed by the County Legislature who are committed to ensuring Dutchess County’s streets, sidewalks, and residents remain safe.