Aggressive drivers and traffic scofflaws beware
Published on March 26th, 2008
STONEHAM, MA - Starting this Wednesday, Stoneham Police will be on the lookout for aggressive motorists passing through town, thanks to a grant obtained by Lt. James McIntyre.
According to Police Chief Richard Bongiorno, the outside funding source will enable the local force to enhance its selective enforcement efforts during peak traffic periods throughout the year.
“I'm excited,” said the police chief. “Any time we can receive grant funding, it places less of a strain on our budget. But more importantly, we're going to use the funds during high traffic periods to address road rage.”
“We hope that will eliminate crashes and make people aware that road rage causes accidents,” Bongiorno added. “These funds will be used at the times when we wouldn't have the personnel to dedicate towards selective enforcement.”
The $8,600 grant, obtained from the Mass. Executive Office of Public Safety, will enable local police to step-up enforcement activity for extended periods during historically high traffic seasons, such as Labor Day, the Fourth of July, and Columbus Day weekends.
According to McIntyre, the grant will allow seven additional officers to patrol Stoneham's roadways for traffic violators.
Those patrolmen, who will be on the lookout for specific infractions, will work four hour shifts that are solely dedicated to selective enforcement activity.
The seven additional police units will began their initial two-week patrols this Wednesday and will remain in place until April 16. McIntyre expects that the funding will enable the police force to increase enforcement activity at least four times this year.
“Because of this grant, we're able to specifically assign officers to four hour blocks for traffic enforcement,” the lieutenant explained. “And there are some other mobilization periods that are part of this grant. When those periods come-up, we'll [let the public know].”
“It will all be for traffic violations, but what we're looking for is people out there driving aggressively,” added McIntyre, who listed speeding, improper passing, and constant lane changes as behaviors being targeted.
In addition to instances of road rage, the grant also calls upon local authorities to target drunk driving and seatbelt compliance. Another portion of the funding, which McIntyre plans to use to obtain better pedestrian signage, will also be slated for crosswalk enhancements.
When Bongiorno first assumed the role of Stoneham's Chief of Police last September, he indicated that cracking down on moving violations would be one of his top priorities.
In the past few months, there has been a noticeable surge in ticketing and motor vehicle stops at busy intersections throughout the town. According to the police chief, the grant funding recently obtained will be used to enhance those efforts, not to supplant them.
“We get a lot of folks who come off Route 128 or I-93 and still think they're driving on the highway,” said Bongiorno. “Moving violations are a priority because it impacts the quality of life for all of us.”
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