Ross Sheriff Receives Over $20,000 In Safety Grants

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(Chillicothe) – Ross County Sheriff George W. Lavender, Jr. has announced the Ohio Department of Public Safety’s (ODPS) Ohio Traffic Safety Office (OTSO) awarded $20,071.85 in federal traffic safety funding to the Ross County Sheriff’s Office for federal fiscal year 2024.

“These funds are critical in ensuring that we are doing everything we possibly can to keep our local community safe,” said Sheriff Lavender. “Based on crash data, distracted driving, speed, impaired driving, and restraint use is a priority for Ross County and we are committed to working with our partners at the state level to address this safety issue.”

Crash data shows that 328 crashes related to impaired driving caused 123 injuries and 14 fatalities in Ross County, over a three-year period. To reduce these numbers, the Ross County Sheriff’s Office will be conducting high-visibility enforcement, working overtime hours.

The funds are passed through OTSO from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to support the efforts of safety partners statewide and focus on traffic safety priority areas such as restraint use, impaired driving, motorcycle safety and youthful drivers.

Competitive grant proposals are accepted and reviewed by OTSO, with funds awarded to projects that will have the greatest impact on reducing fatal crashes or significantly improving traffic safety systems.

For more information about OTSO and statewide efforts to improve safety on Ohio’s roadways, visit the Ohio Traffic Safety Office website.