OVI Task Force receives final year of full funding

CANFIELD

This year is the last year of full funding for the OVI (operating a vehicle impaired) Task Force.

The funding is being phased out over a three-year period due to less alcohol-related fatality crashes in Mahoning County. The task force received $224,95.36 for fiscal year 2016 through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Those funds are used for equipment and to pay overtime hours for officers from Oct. 1 to Sept. 30, 2016.

Next year the task force will receive 75 percent of funding and then in the third year, the final year of funding, it will receive 50 percent.

Scott Weamer, assistant Canfield police chief, hosted a news conference Thursday announcing the funding and results from fiscal year 2015 checkpoints and saturation patrols, or patrols done in the area of checkpoints.

There were 24 sobriety checkpoints from Oct. 1, 2014, to Sept. 30 of this year and police interacted with 6,294 vehicles and removed 21 impaired drivers from the roadway. There were 3,645 traffic stops through saturation patrols and 70 impaired drivers removed from the roadway.

In total there were 91 OVIs, 206 summons issued for driving under suspension, 161 tickets for seat belts and 20 felony arrests.

“We want to change the behavior of the motoring public. We want people to make better decisions about driving when you are impaired,” Weamer said. “We encourage [motorists] to use safe alternatives: designated drivers, DD for hire, taxis.”