Each year the Mar-Mac Police Department participate in the statewide Special Traffic Enforcement Program (sTEP), organized by the Iowa Governor’s Traffic Safety Bureau. With our participation, the department receives funding for overtime wages or to be used toward equipment such as radar units, in-car cameras, and overtime cost.
For Fiscal Year 21-22, the funds are being used for wages for impaired driving enforcement. In the past, funds were used to replace our current patrol vehicle video cameras, which costs approximately $6,000 per vehicle. The previous patrol vehicle video system is over 20 years old and is no longer manufactured or available to repair.
If it wasn’t for programs like these, our agency would not be able to keep up to date with today’s frequently changing law enforcement technology. Small agencies, such as us, are challenged every year with continuous required updates and upgrades that places a significant financial impact on our yearly budget.
As a requirement to receive this funding, agencies throughout Iowa are required to conduct enhanced traffic enforcement (sTEP Wave) during specific periods throughout the year. During this current fiscal year, the sTEP Wave was distributed into three waves (General, Seat Belt, and Impaired). Because Clayton County experiences significant alcohol and/or drug impaired accidents, arrests, and traffic stops, we were selected to participate in the Impaired sTEP Wave.
The recent sTEP wave occurred August 19, 2022, through September 5, 2022. Here are the results of the recent 15-hour sTEP Wave traffic enforcement project:
OWI Alcohol Arrests – 0
OWI Tests Given – 0
OWI Drug Arrests – 0
OWI Drug Test Given – 0
.02 Violations – 0
Underage Possession – 0
Open Container Violations – 0
Seat Belt Citations – 0
Seat Belt Warnings – 0
Child Restraint Warnings – 0
Speeding Citations – 0
Speeding Warnings – 15
Stop Sign Citations – 0
Stop Sign Warnings – 0
Electronic Device Citations – 0
Electronic Device Warnings – 0
Other Traffic Violation Citations – 1
Other Traffic Violation Warnings – 23
