The Greenwood Police Department announced recently that it has been awarded a grant of $23,450 by the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission (LHSC). The grant will be used to fund overtime patrol shifts, enabling Greenwood officers to increase enforcement efforts focusing on speeders, unrestrained motorists (including children not properly secured), and impaired drivers.
These additional patrols are intended to supplement regular policing by increasing visible law enforcement presence during peak traffic hours, weekends, and known high-risk periods. Officers will target drivers who exceed posted speed limits, enforce seat belt laws and proper child restraint usage, and conduct impaired driving enforcement operations such as checkpoints and saturation patrols.
Traffic safety remains a serious concern in Louisiana. The latest 2024 crash data underscores the urgency of aggressive enforcement and prevention efforts. In 2024, there were 652 fatal crashes in Louisiana that resulted in 699 fatalities. That same year, there were over 37,000 suspected injury crashes, averaging more than 100 injury crashes per day across the state. Speeding was a contributing factor in nearly one-third of all fatal crashes, and impaired driving accounted for a significant portion of deaths. Furthermore, unrestrained occupants, particularly children and those not using proper safety devices, continue to face disproportionately higher risks of serious injury or death in crashes. Louisiana’s highway safety priorities specifically highlight impaired driving, occupant protection, and speeding as major causes of preventable fatalities.
With this grant-funded overtime, Greenwood Police will be able to increase patrol hours, especially during times shown by crash data to have higher risks, such as evenings and weekends. More frequent enforcement of seat belt and child restraint laws will be conducted, efforts that are proven to reduce injury severity and save lives. Impaired driving patrols will be expanded to deter motorists from driving under the influence, while speed enforcement will target high-risk locations including school zones, residential areas, and major roadways where speeding endangers both drivers and pedestrians.
Chief Gibson of the Greenwood Police Department stated: “We are grateful to the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission for this funding. Every crash avoided, every life saved matters. These extra patrols will help us keep our roads safer, especially for our youngest citizens and vulnerable motorists.”
The Greenwood Police Department urges the public to support these efforts by obeying traffic laws such as slowing down, buckling up, properly restraining children, and avoiding driving under the influence. Together, these actions combined with enhanced enforcement can reduce crashes, injuries, and fatalities in Greenwood and throughout Louisiana.