Agenda Item Wording:
title
Authorization to Apply for the STEP Grant - Authorize the Visalia Police Department to apply for the Selective Traffic Enforcement Program (STEP) for FY 2025-26 Grant for an estimated amount of $260,000 and submit the application by the January 31, 2025, deadline.
body
Deadline for Action: 1/21/2025
Submitting Department: Police Department
Contact Name and Phone Number:
Chief Jason Salazar, ext. 4215, jason.salazar@visalia.city <mailto:jason.salazar@visalia.city>;
Financial Analyst Liz Ybarra, ext. 4250, liz.ybarra@visalia.city <mailto:liz.ybarra@visalia.city>;
Lieutenant Celeste Sanchez, ext. 4573, celeste.sanchez@visalia.city <mailto:celeste.sanchez@visalia.city>;
Sergeant Henry Martinez, ext. 4232, henry.martinez@visalia.city <mailto:henry.martinez@visalia.city>
Department Recommendation:
Authorize the Visalia Police Department to apply for the Selective Traffic Enforcement Program (STEP) FY 2025-26 Grant for an estimated amount of $260,000 and submit the application by 1/30/2025. The Grant is effective from 10/1/2025 to 9/30/2026.
Summary:
The Visalia Police Department has been awarded the STEP Grant for more than 10 years and has used the funds to enhance its traffic enforcement and educational efforts including, but not limited to: DUI checkpoints and saturation patrols, distracted driver, motorcycle safety, pedestrian/bicycle enforcement operations, and several traffic educational presentations. The grant has also funded equipment and provided the resources necessary to effectively complete Driving Under the Influence (DUI) enforcement details.
Background Discussion:
With various strategies, traffic safety and DUI enforcement are aggressively targeted through checkpoints, saturation details, traffic enforcement, distracted driving operations, motorcycle details, and traffic safety education. The goal of the STEP Grant is to provide support and funding to reduce the number of persons killed or injured in traffic collisions, decrease alcohol-related collisions, increase DUI enforcement efforts, and raise public awareness about the dangers and consequences of drinking and driving. Operations are conducted in areas with disproportionately high numbers of traffic collisions.
In the 2023-24 grant year, the Visalia Police Department responded to four alcohol-related traffic fatalities and 61 alcohol-related injury collisions. In total, the department addressed 17 fatal traffic collisions and 579 injury collisions. During that grant year, Visalia PD was awarded $170,000, which funded 19 DUI enforcement operations, 31 traffic safety enforcement operations, and training for 39 officers in DUI detection and enforcement.
For the 2024-25 grant year, Visalia PD was awarded $200,000. These funds will be used to purchase 10 new mobile ticket printers for the Traffic Unit, procure DUI checkpoint supplies, and conduct 19 DUI enforcement operations, 26 traffic safety enforcement operations, as well as training for 12 additional officers in DUI detection and enforcement.
For the 2025-26 grant year, the department plans to request approximately $260,000. These funds will support 20 DUI enforcement operations, 35 traffic safety enforcement operations, two traffic safety community presentations, and the purchase of two handheld speed radars along with additional DUI checkpoint supplies.
The City of Visalia has experienced a steady increase in drivers and vehicles on the roadway. The requested grant funding will provide additional resources to enhance enforcement and educational efforts, ultimately improving roadway safety.
Fiscal Impact:
Staff will go back to Council to appropriate the funds if this STEP Grant is awarded.
Prior Council Action: N/A
Other: N/A
Alternatives:
Do not authorize the Visalia Police Department to submit the STEP Grant application.
Recommended Motion (and Alternative Motions if expected):
recommendation
Authorize Visalia Police Department to apply for the Selective Traffic Enforcement Program (STEP) for FY 2025-26 Grant for an estimated amount of $260,000 and submit the application by the January 31, 2025, deadline.
end
Environmental Assessment Status: N/A
CEQA Review: N/A
Attachments: STEP Grant Budget.