The grants include money for the Child Passenger Safety Seat Program, the Comprehensive Traffic Safety Program, and the Pedestrian Decoy Enforcement Program.
Burlington County undersheriff Bryan Norcross has announced that the Burlington County Sheriff’s Department is applying for three traffic safety grants totaling $191,000 from the Division of Highway Traffic Safety. These grants will fund the Sheriff’s Department’s Child Passenger Safety Seat Program, the Comprehensive Traffic Safety Program, and Pedestrian Decoy Enforcement Program.
“Since its start 19 years ago, the Burlington County Child Passenger Safety Program has inspected over 16,000 child safety seats. Last year only 4.6 percent of families who came to a checkpoint had their child’s safety seat properly installed,” Norcross said. “This illustrates the critical need for a program of this nature in Burlington County, particularly when motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of death for children under 6 and over 6-months of age.”
Currently, safety seat checkpoints are held every Wednesday at the county complex from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., with additional checkpoints planned around the county on the following dates:
· Saturday, May 20 at St. Joan of Arc Parish, 100 Willow Bend Road, Marlton, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
· Saturday, June 10 at Mt. Laurel Fire Station Station 362, 3824 Church Road, Mt. Laurel, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
· Saturday, Sept. 9, at Mt. Laurel Fire Station Station 361, 105 Masionville Centerton Road, Mt. Laurel, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
“The Sheriff’s Department is committed to educating parents and caregivers on the steps they need to take to keep their children safe while traveling on our roadways,” Norcross said. “This is accomplished through educational sessions at community events and through individual hands-on training at these checkpoints.”
Last year, the Sheriff’s Department partnered with Project TEACH to educate teen parents on the proper way to install their child’s safety seat.
“For the Comprehensive Traffic Safety Program, the Sheriff’s Department partners with the Burlington County Traffic Safety Committee to implement various public education and other traffic safety programs throughout the county,” Norcross said.
The committee is comprised of representatives from local government, law enforcement, state agencies and non-profit groups.
“In May of 2013 we were awarded funding for Operation Safe Passage Route 130. Police departments along Route 130 work with us in a united effort to conduct proactive traffic enforcement on this strip of highway,” Norcross said. “Together we are working to change the driving culture on Route 130.”
The Sheriff’s department is requesting $100,000 for the 1017–18 funding cycle to continue this enforcement work.
“We will use $25,000 to conduct proactive and educational enforcements in the Burlington City School Zone during the hours of 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. and the remaining $75,000 will be used to conduct proactive details on the 22.5 miles of Route 130,” Norcross said. “The remaining $25,000 will allow us to continue to offer other successful programs such as defensive driving classes, crossing guard training, bicycle safety and pedestrian safety education.
In 2013, the Sheriff’s Department began the Pedestrian Decoy Enforcement Program which uses plain clothes police officers in crosswalks to ensure that motorists are complying with pedestrian crossing laws.
“The $30,000 requested for this program will enable us to conduct enforcement operations and education details at various locations throughout the county in conjunction with municipal police departments to ensure the safety of our residents by educating them on crosswalk laws,” Norcross said.
For more information on these programs, visit the Sheriff’s Department’s section of the county webpage at www.co.burlington.nj.us/130/Sheriffs-Department.
