Reading Police Department Awarded $10K Road Safety Grant

READING, MA– The Reading Police Department has been awarded a $10,032 grant to help improve safety on local roads.

The grants are administered through the state’s Executive Office of Public Safety and Security, according to a statement from police.

Reading was one of 192 municipal police departments to be approved for funding this year, with a combined total of over $5.6 million awarded in the latest round of grants.

“The objective of this grant is to enhance pedestrian and bicyclist safety in the community,” Officer Michael Scouten said in a statement. “The Reading Police Department is dedicated to improving traffic safety and responding to residents’ concerns about vehicles failing to yield to pedestrians in crosswalks."

A total of $8,632 in grant funding will be allocated for pedestrian and bicycle enforcement overtime, focusing on monitoring crosswalks.

Beginning in November and continuing through September, officers will conduct two four-hour enforcement shifts per month. These efforts will target pedestrian and crosswalk violations, with uniformed officers patrolling on foot in areas with heavy pedestrian traffic, such as the downtown business district and the commuter rail depot.

Two officers will also carry out decoy operations in high-pedestrian, high-traffic zones, including school zones and the downtown area, to identify and address violations of pedestrian crosswalk laws by vehicles and bicyclists.

The remaining $1,400 in grant funding will be used to purchase 140 children’s bicycle safety helmets from Helmets R Us, which will be distributed during the department’s annual open house.