Police ramp up seatbelt enforcement

Portales police officers issued 60 percent more seatbelt citations in the first five months of this year than they did in all of 2011.

Christina Calloway: Portales News-Tribune

The Portales Police Department is cracking down on seatbelt and child restraint violations through additional patrols used to target violators. They are able to do so through grant funding from the program, Operation Buckle Down.

Officials credit Operation Buckle Down, a state funded program started Jan. 9 that pay patrol officers overtime to concentrate specifically on seatbelt and child safety violations.

Since the beginning of this year, Portales police have has issued 140 seatbelt citations plus 10 child restraint citations.

Of those 140 seatbelt citations, 86 were given by patrol officers specifically on duty to target seatbelt violations.

There were 91 seatbelt citations in 2011.

Sgt. Kane Wyatt stressed the goal is not to issue more citations than last year, the goal is to educate the public and see them comply with the laws for their safety.

"I'd rather get the word out than to issue a citation," Wyatt said.

Wyatt hopes that the national Click it or Ticket campaign, which began Monday and ends June 3, will really bring awareness about seatbelt safety to the public.

The campaign has used ads, billboards and commercials to remind the motorists to buckle up.

Wyatt said the goal is to reduce injury crashes and the injuries that result from crashes.

As the department's fiscal year ends in September, Wyatt says he will be applying for grants that fund programs such as Operation Buckle Down, as well as Operation DWI.

This year, the department received $3,985 for Operation Buckle Down.

One program he hopes he receives funding for is the Selected Traffic Enforcement program so officers can patrol the safety of motorists and construction workers along the U.S. 70 construction.