Grand Island Police Department Highlights Results from Distracted Driving Enforcement Campaign

Grand Island, Neb. — The Grand Island Police Department’s participation in the statewide “Put the Phone Away or Pay” enforcement campaign is complete and yielded encouraging results.

Through a mini-grant provided by the Nebraska Department of Transportation Office of Highway Safety, the department conducted targeted enforcement efforts from April 9-13 that were aimed at reducing distracted driving and improving roadway safety.. The grant funded overtime hours for officers focused on identifying and addressing unsafe driving behaviors.

As part of the campaign, eight officers worked a combined 88 hours of overtime, resulting in 298 traffic stops. Officers issued 122 citations and 176 warnings during the enforcement period.

Enforcement efforts also led to several additional actions, including 11 fugitives apprehended, 35 speeding citations, four DUI alcohol arrests, one DUI drug arrest, two minor in possession alcohol arrests, three careless driving citations or arrests, one exhibition driving citation, three citations for riding outside a vehicle and one citation for having a television visible to the driver.

The Grand Island Police Department thanks the Nebraska Department of Transportation Office of Highway Safety for its support in making this enforcement effort possible, as well as the proactive work of its officers in helping identify violations and hold drivers accountable. These campaigns are designed to reduce crashes caused by distracted driving and reinforce the importance of staying focused behind the wheel.