Grant From Oklahoma Highway Safety Office Helps Local Police Departments Increase Traffic Safety

A new grant is addressing some of the most dangerous roads in our state. One of the towns to benefit from the funding is right up I-35. 

The Guthrie Police Department uses crash data from the Highway Safety Office to increase patrolling in certain areas. 

Residents News 9 spoke to Friday afternoon said they’re happy the police department is being proactive. 

“Noble all the way up Division. Even through all the eateries or out by Walmart that is definitely something they should think about,” said Jennifer Wolfington, a Guthrie Resident. 

“Division, Sooner Road, Seward Road, there are many roads in Logan County and the Guthrie area,” said Richard Hendricks, another Guthrie Resident. 

A new grant from the Oklahoma Highway Safety Office is helping the Guthrie Police Department increase safety. 

“Speed kills: if we can get them to slow down, if we can get them to watch their speed, especially in town and two road roadways. It only takes a moment for something to go wrong,” said Sgt. Anthony Gibbs, with the Guthrie Police Department. 

The news comes as a relief to Wolfington who said cars fly by her house every day. 

“Sometimes while my kids are out there playing, they end up you know missing a ball or having to chase a puppy and then people go up over my hill going 90 to nothing all the time,” she said. 

The Guthrie Police Department is getting $10,000 to increase patrolling on dangerous roads. 

“It allows us to have a certain amount of money that we can offer to officers who can come in on their overtime shifts and be able to go work areas that we are having high collision rates,” said Sgt. Gibbs. 

The police department is also investing in traffic trailers. 

“Like I said it’s not about going out and writing citations it’s about getting out and changing the dangerous behavior for the driver and anyone else around,” he said. 

“Too many people die in wrecks every year and sometimes it’s just because somebody didn’t see a stop sign,” said Wolfington. 

The Oklahoma Highway Safety Office gave this grant to several departments around the state.