The Turlock Police Department led a multi-agency traffic enforcement effort in town on Wednesday that sought to put the brakes on aggressive and distracted driving behaviors.

The Countywide Integrated Traffic Enforcement team is a collaboration of law enforcement officers from multiple, local jurisdictions. The C.I.T.E. team conducts safety patrols, focuses on aggressive drivers and seeks out violators who demonstrate a blatant disregard for traffic safety.

During the three-and-a-half-hour operation from 7:30 a.m. to 11 a.m., the C.I.T.E. team towed three vehicles and issued 93 traffic citations to violators. The focus of the operation was to address hazardous moving violations, which typically cause collisions. The majority of the citations issued by the C.I.T.E. team were for speeding and stop sign violations.

In addition to participating in this collaboration, the Turlock Police Department was awarded a one-year grant from the State of California, Office of Traffic Safety. The grant allocates up to $60,000 to concentrate on goals in the reduction of traffic related injuries and fatalities involving alcohol and other primary collision factors.

The grant allows officers to conduct directed enforcement details that focus on the issues, such as primary collision factors and driver, passenger and pedestrian safety. This directed enforcement is conducted on an overtime basis and supplements enforcement already being conducted by the Traffic Safety Unit and Patrol Officers.

Interim Police Chief Gary R. Hampton said that the Turlock Police Department will continue to pursue unique approaches such as high visibility and saturation patrols to address and change the elevated, aggressive and negligent driving conduct by motorists.

Anyone who is aware of on-going traffic related problems within the city of Turlock, can call and report the issue to the Traffic Safety Unit on the Traffic Hotline at (209) 668-5550 extension 6680.