Cape police department gets $2,000 grant

The Missouri Division of Highway Safety, the Missouri Police Chiefs Association and the Missouri Safety Center awarded the Cape Girardeau Police Department a Selective Traffic Enforcement Program grant of $2,000 to assist in a statewide effort to increase seat belt use in Missouri. Law enforcement agencies in 20 counties will participate in this grant program.

The STEP grant has three components: a pre-survey, an enforcement period and a post-survey. The pre-survey will be used to determine the baseline seat belt usage rate. A weeklong enforcement period will follow to target violations including aggressive driving, seat belt violations. Motorists could be ticketed for all traffic violations as well as for failing to ensure that vehicle occupants buckle up. A post-survey will be conducted to determine if seat belt usage rates increased.