Whether you’re hitting the road to visit family, or driving to the store for some holiday shopping, Boise Police are on the road, too, looking for distracted and aggressive drivers.
It’s all part of a grant-funded effort to get folks driving safely and responsibly during the holiday season.
“The whole idea is to make sure we take action that deters the action from happening again,” said Cpl. Ryan Jones with the Boise Police Department. “Now, whether that’s by citation or a warning, it really remains to be seen.”
For Jones, who has spent more than 12 years on the force with BPD, every day on the traffic beat is different.
“Anytime we have a reason to stop somebody and either cite them or warn them for a violation that we’re looking for, it’s a contact,” Jones explained. “Today, I’ll contact at least 50 people.”
From distracted to aggressive drivers, keeping Boise’s roads safe — especially during the holidays — is no easy job.
However, a grant from the National Office of Highway Safety is allowing BPD to conduct targeted patrols, focusing on unsafe behavior behind the wheel during the winter months.
“Speeding, unsafe lane changes, failing to signal, following too close, reckless driving,” Jones said.
From Thanksgiving until Christmas, sometimes even working double shifts, officers say the grant comes at the perfect — and busiest — time of year.
“With these grants, it gives us the opportunity to work a little bit extra to stay on the streets, put some more officers on the streets, to be able to focus on these issues,” Jones said.
The Boise Police Department’s targeted patrols will end Saturday, Dec. 16.
