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Page 12 of 15 <br />City of Redwood City 1017 Middlefield Road, Redwood City, CA. 94063 Tel: 650-780-7000 www.redwoodcity.org <br />Police Activities <br />The Redwood City Police Department received a $120,000 Saturation Traffic Enforcement Program (STEP) <br />grant from OTS for fiscal year 2024-2025. The STEP grant funded safety equipment, officer training, and <br />special details staffing to “reduce the number of fatality and injury collisions involving alcohol and other <br />primary collision factors.” Implementation efforts focused on enforcement of specific traffic safety laws, <br />such as DUI and distracted driving, providing traffic safety education, and informing the public about <br />planned enforcement activities. The Redwood City Police Department has applied for further STEP grant <br />funding for fiscal year 2025-2026 and is awaiting approval. <br /> <br />September is Pedestrian Safety Month in California. The Police Department performs public education <br />such as traffic safety education regarding walking and biking to schools during this month. The Redwood <br />City Police Department conducts high-visibility enforcement at collision hotspot locations, such as the <br />intersection of Woodside and Middlefield Road and El Camino Real at Selby Lane and Finger Avenue. <br /> <br />As part of the ongoing efforts to enhance traffic safety, the Redwood City Police Department utilized STEP <br />grant funding to conduct three highly publicized DUI checkpoints throughout the city. These checkpoints <br />have proven to be productive as a proactive means of removing impaired drivers from the road before <br />they can cause harm. In addition to targeting DUI offenders, these checkpoints successfully identified and <br />apprehended unlicensed drivers, as well as individuals wanted on outstanding DUI warrants. <br />Moreover, the Department conducted 10 specialized DUI saturation patrols funded by the STEP grant, <br />resulting in five DUI-related arrests. These additional patrols not only provide extra officers on the streets <br />but also enable a focused approach to traffic enforcement, concentrating specifically on identifying and <br />deterring impaired driving. The funding enabled the Redwood City Police Department to carry out 11 <br />special traffic enforcement operations. Officers concentrated on high-risk violations that are common <br />contributors to collisions, including speeding, failure to stop at red lights and stop signs, illegal turns, and <br />the illegal use of cellular phones while driving. These operations led to the issuance of 65 citations and <br />two arrests, underscoring the Department’s commitment to reducing traffic-related incidents and <br />promoting road safety. <br />Another notable initiative funded by the STEP grant was the pedestrian safety details. During these <br />operations, officers dressed in plain clothes and legally crossed streets in marked crosswalks—an area <br />where safety complaints have been prevalent across the city. This undercover tactic has proven highly <br />effective, as it allows officers to catch drivers in the act of failing to yield to pedestrians. As a result, these <br />efforts have resulted in the issuance of 140 citations for failure to yield, as well as two arrests for <br />outstanding warrants. <br />Overall, these proactive measures demonstrate the vital role that grant funding plays in ensuring the <br />safety and well-being of Redwood City’s residents. By providing the resources necessary for specialized <br />enforcement and high-visibility operations, the Department is able to address key safety concerns in a <br />comprehensive manner, keeping impaired and reckless drivers off the streets, holding offenders <br />accountable, and ultimately making the city a safer place for everyone. <br />11.A. - Page 12 of 15 <br />395