THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, January 12, 1996 TAG: 9601110156
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS PAGE: 10 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: STAFF REPORT
LENGTH: Short : 36 lines
The Department of Motor Vehicles granted the city $10,000 to pay for more traffic enforcement where there are a high number of accidents and in school zones, and to more strictly enforce the city's speed limits.
The grant will allow the police department to write about 1,600 additional traffic tickets this year.
According to the grant's project review form, $10,000 will allow the police an additional 400 hours of traffic enforcement and officers estimate they will write about 4 traffic tickets per hour.
The police department will use the grant to enforce the speed limit throughout every neighborhood in the city.
Residents of Waterview came to the City Council meeting on Tuesday to say that the city must implement stricter traffic enforcement in that neighborhood or close the causeway.
Currently city workers are counting the number of vehicles driving through that neighborhood and analyzing traffic patterns to help the city find a way to alleviate traffic problems there.
In the grant forms, police said that although the grant is designed for traffic enforcement it will also help with ``increased police visibility, faster response to high-priority emergency calls and improved crime deterrence.''
The police department also received a federal grant that will allow it to hire five more officers to help fight crime and patrol Portsmouth. by CNB