Due to a federal grant received last month, Butler County Sheriff Richard K. Jones has reported that extra deputies will be on patrol this Thanksgiving season. Up to 150 total additional overtime hours have been allocated starting Friday until the end of November.
According to a release from the Butler County Sheriff’s Office, the extra patrols will provide high visibility traffic enforcement throughout the un-incorporated areas of the county, primarily targeting speeders and impaired or otherwise unsafe drivers.
During federal fiscal year 2012 (which runs from Oct. 1, 2011-Sept. 30, 2012) the Sheriff’s Office was awarded a total grant of just more than $78,000 from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Office. The grant monies are filtered through the Ohio Office of Criminal Justice Services. Those funds will be used to supplement normally scheduled patrols with overtime details during selective days/hours spread out over this federal fiscal year.
“The extra money provided through this grant is crucial to high-visibility enforcement,” Sheriff Jones said. “Our own funds are limited, and don’t allow for many extra patrol efforts. Being able to add a few extra Deputies scattered throughout the year during some selective times, and specifically targeting unsafe drivers, should make our roadways safer for everyone here in Butler County.”
To obtain more information about the Office of Criminal Justice Services and statewide efforts to improve safety on Ohio’s roadways, visit http://www.ocjs.ohio.gov.
