Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, May 2, 1995 TAG: 9505020117
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV3 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: RICK LINDQUIST STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: RADFORD LENGTH: Short
Radford City Police have received a $5,000 grant from the Division of Motor Vehicles' Transportation Safety Administration to beef up enforcement of drunken-driving violations.
Capt. Gary Harmon said Monday the money will allow his department to pay officers overtime strictly to patrol for drunken drivers and other traffic offenders.
"We'll be watching for the telltale signs" of driving under the influence, Harmon said.
City police plan to start the enhanced patrols in early June and continue them through September - when the grant expires - during what Harmon called "the peak DUI periods, Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights."
During 1994, city police nabbed 79 suspected drunken drivers, down from 139 the year before. Harmon attributed last year's drop in part to the fact that the department had four vacant positions and no money to pay for even routine overtime patrols.
The grant money will free officers from other calls and lets them concentrate on drunken driving and traffic violations, Harmon explained.
"We really couldn't operate as efficiently as we do without [this] help," he said.
The department also gets some additional help come June, when three new officers graduate from the Police Academy and begin on-the-job training.
by CNB