Oskaloosa Police Department Working To Bring Awareness To Motorists

Oskaloosa Police Officer Janay Pritchett and Lieutenant Jacob Vanderpol check the results of a drug test during a traffic stop on Saturday evening.

Oskaloosa Police Officer Janay Pritchett and Lieutenant Jacob Vanderpol check the results of a drug test during a traffic stop on Saturday evening.

Oskaloosa, Iowa – Flashing lights in your review mirror are not something most of us want to see, but the Oskaloosa Police Department has been working to help make motorists aware of traffic laws.

With a grant from the Governor’s Traffic Safety Bureau, some Oskaloosa officers have been working some overtime to raise awareness of seat belt usage, speeding, traffic lights, and alcohol enforcement.

This grant is covering the overtime of the officers who decide to work the program.

In over an hour-and-a-half of riding along with the Oskaloosa Police Department, Lieutenant Jacob Vanderpol had eight different contacts with motorist relating to seat belt usage.

Vanderpol has been in law enforcement for over nine years and it surprises him that people are still not wearing seatbelts in a motor vehicle.

Vanderpol said that, in general, seatbelt usage numbers have gotten better over the years, but that some people still make a choice not to wear their seatbelt. “They just need to remember that seatbelts do save lives.”

Vanderpol has seen the difference first hand that wearing a seatbelt can make a difference in saving lives.

It’s often thought that officers are out to make their quota. Vanderpol says that “quotas are illegal.”

“We don’t look for numbers; we’re just looking to change people’s habits,” added Vanderpol.

Vanderpol ended his evening by investigating a potential drug-impaired driver.

“The Iowa Governor’s Traffic Safety Bureau is a subdivision of the Iowa Department of Public Safety. Each state is required to have a highway safety program consistent with the uniform guidelines issued by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.”

Posted by on Nov 26 2017. Filed under Local News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

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