Three South Bay police departments will share roughly $325,000 in state grants to fund impaired and distracted driving enforcement on local roads.
Redondo Beach received the largest share at nearly $200,000, Hermosa Beach got $72,000 and Manhattan Beach received $53,000, the Daily Breeze reported. The money comes from the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS), which announced approximately $122.7 million for more than 480 projects statewide in an Oct. 19 press release. Nearby Torrance also received $96,000.
The federal National Highway Traffic Safety Administration funds the grant program, which runs through Sept. 30, 2027.
What the money pays for
The Hermosa Beach Police Department offered the most detail about how it plans to spend its share. In a Friday, Oct. 23, press release, the department said the grant would support enforcement and education programs aimed at reducing serious injuries and deaths on local roads.
Hermosa Beach Police Department Sgt. Keaton Dadigan said in a statement that the grant "will help us improve Hermosa Beach road safety through DUI checkpoints, enforcement operations and advanced training," the Daily Breeze reported.
Specific plans include distracted-driving operations targeting drivers who violate California's hands-free cellphone law, according to the Hermosa Beach department's press release. Officers will also focus on speeding, failure to yield, red-light running and improper turning or lane changes.
The grant will fund community presentations on traffic safety topics. It will also pay for officer training in impaired-driving detection, including the Standard Field Sobriety Test, Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement and Drug Recognition Expert certifications.
The Daily Breeze reported that Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach and Torrance police departments plan to use their grants for similar purposes. No separate statements from those departments appeared in the coverage.
Statewide picture
OTS Director Stephanie Dougherty said in a statement that "traffic safety begins with everyday decisions," the Daily Breeze reported.
Roughly $48 million of the statewide total is earmarked for more than 200 law enforcement agencies to conduct enforcement and education efforts, according to the OTS press release.
