NORTH RIDGEVILLE, Ohio. — The North Ridgeville Police Department has secured more than $63,000 in federal grant money.
The department received two federal grants aimed at targeting unlawful driving behaviors and working to reduce crashes. The grants will pay for high-visibility police enforcement, meaning more officers will be seen patrolling roads in the city.
The North Ridgeville Police Department said local crash data is showing a need for this kind of enforcement. According to the department, there have been 147 impaired driving crashes resulting in 34 injuries and two fatalities within the last three years.
The grant money, which is administered by the Ohio Department of Public Safety, will pay for the officer overtime needed for enforcement.
"We're a city of 25 square miles, so we do have a lot of roadways," North Ridgeville Police Captain Greg Petek said. "With the manpower that we have, this allows us to have more manpower targeting those areas where we get higher crashes and, unfortunately, some fatalities."
The first grant comes from the Impaired Driving Enforcement Program, which totals $31,232. The grant focuses on reducing the number of drug- or alcohol-related crashes, primarily during the evening and overnight hours.
The Selective Traffic Enforcement Program is providing $32,732 to the department to provide traffic enforcement during the morning and evening rush hour.
The North Ridgeville Police Department said these grants will cover enforcement through September 2027.
