Kendall County Sheriff’s Office receives grant for traffic enforcement efforts

The Kendall County Sheriff’s Office has received a grant that will help its traffic enforcement efforts.

The Federal Fiscal Year 2025 Sustained Traffic Enforcement Program grant, funded by federal highway safety funds through the Illinois Department of Transportation, will support enhanced traffic safety enforcement efforts designed to save lives and reduce traffic crashes.

“We are grateful for this grant, which allows us to increase our enforcement of impaired driving, seat belt, speeding and other traffic safety laws under the banners of ‘Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over,’ ‘Click It or Ticket,’ and ‘Drive High, Get a DUI,’ ” Kendall County Undersheriff Bobby Richardson said in a news release. “Our priority is ensuring the safety of everyone who uses our roadways by holding those who break the law accountable.”

The STEP grant year, which runs from Oct. 1, 2024, through Sept. 30, 2025, enables the Sheriff’s Office to conduct additional enforcement operations, particularly during high-risk periods, according to the release. These operations will focus on dangerous behaviors that contribute to crashes, such as speeding, impaired driving, distracted driving, failure to yield, disobeying traffic signals and seat belt violations.

Key enforcement campaigns like “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” and “Click It or Ticket” will be emphasized during some of the deadliest times of the year to raise awareness and promote safer driving habits, the release said. These high-visibility enforcement efforts are part of the Sheriff’s Office ongoing mission to keep Illinois roads safe for all.