Under this three-year grant the Governor's Highway Safety Program (GHSP) subsidizes the entire cost of the vehicle, its equipment and the officer's salary for the first year. The state pays 75% then 50% of the officer's salary in the second and third years with the town assuming the difference.
"We've worked very hard to find creative ways to address our citizen's needs and have been very fortunate to receive two GHSP grants," said Wilkes. The department has received a total of $75,000 in state grants in the past six months. Earlier that evening Mr. John Stokes, Highway Safety Specialist representing the GHSP, presented the board with a fully equipped traffic safety trailer that ws fully funded by the GHSP.
These grants were only the latest part of the department's plan to address the dramatic increase in Winterville's traffic volume, number of accidents and particularly those involving injuries. Last year the department began conducting four traffic safety checkpoints daily that is credited with helping reduce traffic accidents by almost two percent even though the local population increased by 18% during the same period. One officer has also received state certification as an advanced accident reconstructionist. Departmental efforts are also ongoing to identify problematic environmental factors that can be addressed to reduce accidents and injuries in the future.
According to Chief Wilkes, "Traffic safety has a significant and direct impact on our citizens' quality of life. The total value of property damaged and injuries involved in traffic accidents is far greater than all of our major crimes combined."
