With the busy holiday weekend just ahead, law enforcement agencies across the state are teaming up for what’s called STEP — a Special Traffic Enforcement Program. The effort runs today through Sunday, November 29th. Randy Hunefeld is coordinator of the Iowa Governor’s Traffic Safety Bureau.
“We’re going to have lots of law enforcement folks out there looking for violators, and not only looking for violations, they’re also looking to educate the public,” Hunefeld says. “They want to make sure everybody’s buckled up, they’re driving the speed limit and definitely driving sober.” The last STEP initiative was held from August 21st through September 3rd. Hunefeld says Iowa law officers made a number of stops during that time.
That effort was called “Over the Limit, Under Arrest,” and it brought nearly 38,000 traffic contacts reported by law agencies statewide during that period. He says of the 37,889 situations where law officers pulled vehicles over, there were 990 impaired drivers found and arrested.
There were also more than 300 arrests for drugs, some 3,500 seat belt violations and 14-thousand speeders caught. During the STEP being launched today, more than 325 law enforcement agencies will be patrolling Iowa’s city streets, highways and interstates.
Contirbuted by Pat Powers, Webster City