The Gulf Breeze Police Department will now have a better leg up on U.S. Highway 98 enforcement thanks to a vote from Gulf Breeze City Council at their Tuesday night meeting.
The council unanimously approved utilizing $10,000 from the city’s Red Light Camera funds to help pay for more man-hours for its officers to patrol Hwy. 98 to keep crime and car accidents at a minimum.
The request for more funds came from City Manager Edwin “Buz” Eddy to city council and Mayor Matt Dannheisser.
“As reported recently by Police Chief (Robert) Randle, more patrols have been conducted by police officers on special overtime assignments. We set aside a certain amount of money that can be used for special assignments within the department, like extra enforcement,” Eddy said. “And we used up what we had (dished out) earlier this Fiscal Year.”
Earlier this year, the city gave the police department $20,000 to beef up traffic enforcement along Hwy. 98. The extra boost came just in time after Randle announced to the local media that traffic accidents were up 20 percent in the city limits and on the Pensacola Bay Bridge over last year.
“The result (of more police presence has resulted in) more citations issued, less gridlock and a leveling off of accidents such that the number of accidents is about average,” Eddy said in the email to city officials.
Eddy told South Santa Rosa News that the $10,000 should help keep up the enforcement momentum through the rest of the Fiscal Year where the city will reevaluate its budget.
