Cleveland Heights, Ohio—Today, the City of Cleveland Heights announced that the Ohio Department of Public Safety (ODPS) had awarded the Cleveland Heights Police Department a $22,603 Summer Holiday Enforcement Program (SHEP) grant.
SHEP grants are funded from U. S. Department of Transportation roadway safety funds that have been earmarked for local traffic-safety education, enforcement, and awareness and are part of Ohio’s efforts as a partner in the national program Toward Zero Deaths: A National Strategy on Highway Safety.
One tenet of Toward Zero Deaths is High Visibility Enforcement (HVE), an approach to traffic safety designed to deter unlawful traffic behaviors and encourage voluntary compliance with the law through proactive, high-visibility law enforcement and well-publicized public education. SHEP grant recipients agree to conduct HVE activities designed to reduce fatal crashes in their jurisdictions from April through September.
The Cleveland Heights Police Department's SHEP-related activities include:
Weekend of April 16, 2022
Several extra patrol officers will be added to monitor driver speeds, control traffic, and educate drivers about distracted driving.
Memorial Day Weekend through the beginning of June
Nine extra patrol officers will enforce traffic laws while educating motorists about the importance of wearing seatbelts as part of the “Click It or Ticket Day & Night.”
The Cleveland Heights Police Department provides a complimentary service of having an officer check the proper installation of child car seats and booster seats at the police station. CHPD officers will encourage motorists to take advantage of this service as part of the “Click It or Ticket” campaign.
July 4-10, 2022
From July 4-7, nine extra patrol officers will monitor driver speeds, control traffic, educate drivers about distracted driving, and detect and deter impaired driving.
From July 8-10, these officers will be assigned to ensure pedestrian and traffic safety as Cleveland Heights welcomes thousands of people to the 45th Annual Cain Park Arts Festival.
End of August—Labor Day Weekend 2022
As students are returning to school during the end of August, six additional patrol officers will work late afternoon and evening shifts to detect, deter, and enforce alcohol- and drug-impaired driving as part of the “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign. This effort will continue through Labor Day Weekend.
“We are thankful for this grant award and the ongoing support the Cleveland Heights Police Department has received from Mayor Seren, City Council, and the community,” said Chief of Police Christopher Britton.
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