For the 19th year, the Benton Police Department (BNPD) has been awarded a Federal grant for the Selective Traffic Enforcement Program (STEP). This means the BNPD is able to pay officers for overtime hours spent on seat belt, speeding and DWI enforcement.
In addition to regular enforcement, the BNPD will participate in state and federal mobilizations around Thanksgiving, throughout December, around Memorial Day, July 4th and Labor Day.
This grant includes money for child safety seats to pass on to the public at no charge and to be installed by Benton police officers. The Department was also awarded money toward the purchase of a new LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) equipment for speed enforcement.
The grant is funded through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. From October 2016 to September 2017, officers worked 606 hours through the STEP.