Safety Blitz Planned for Memorial Day Weekend by Gresham Police

Gresham Police are out in force making sure the streets are safe as possible with the holiday weekend coming up.

It's the department's second safety belt blitz of the year, combined with DUII-focused patrols.

The effort is funded by the United States Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The blitz focuses on child safety restraints, seatbelt use, and minors riding illegally in the beds of pickup trucks.

Gresham Police say that since January, officers working hours specifically funded by grants from USDOT have issued 35 safety belt citations, including five child restrain citations; 33 suspended or revoked license citations; 16 DUII citations; and 121 citations or warnings for other offenses.

The department says that, on average, safety belts reduce the chance of being killed in a collision by 55 percent. In regard to infants under one year, the proper use of child safety restraints can reduce their chances of fatal injury by 71 percent. During 2014 in Multnomah County alone, 313 child passengers were either killed or injured.