Baltimore County Police Department

Federal Government Invests in Baltimore County Traffic Safety

Grant to Assure Safe Operation of Commercial Vehicles

Baltimore County, Md. (January 10, 2011) - The Baltimore County Police Department held a press conference today at the Public Safety Building in Towson. Deputy Administrator Bill Bronrott of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration at the U.S. Department of Transportation was at the Baltimore County Police Department to present a grant award to Chief Jim Johnson, County Executive Kevin Kamenetz, and other Baltimore County officials.

A total of $415,000 was awarded to support commercial driver’s license (CDL) enforcement and education. A portion of these funds will be used to purchase 200 electronic citation systems for patrol vehicles. This will increase the efficiency of traffic stops and improve the transmission of data to the courts and other highway safety agencies.

A second portion of these funds will also be used to develop an educational program for police officers, prosecutors, and court personnel. The Baltimore County Police Department has partnered with the Community College of Baltimore County (CCBC) to develop this program, which will be used nationally to promote CDL enforcement.

National Model

Mr. Bill Bronrott visited one of the police precincts to observe officers conducting enforcement action. “When federal, state, and local communities come together to improve commercial motor vehicle and driver safety, we make our roads safer for everyone,” said Mr. Bronrott. “This important grant award will enable the Baltimore County Police Department to strengthen road safety by significantly increasing commercial vehicle enforcement in critical areas such as speeding, DUIs, seatbelt use and distracted driving.”

Chief Jim Johnson added, “The Baltimore County Police Department has traffic safety and crime fighting strategies that will not only make Baltimore County a safer place to live, but will also improve the safety of our roadways for millions of motorists and pedestrians. Today’s event is important because the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s investment will allow us to continue to use technology to expand our commitment to traffic safety and data driven policing.”

Baltimore County’s strategies in highway safety and crime prevention are being used nationally by other law enforcement agencies as a model.