Coles Co. Sheriff’s Office awarded IDOT grant to improve traffic safety

COLES COUNTY, Ill. (WCIA) — The Coles County Sheriff’s Department received a grant to help improve traffic safety.

On Oct. 10, the Coles County Sheriff’s Office announced it has been awarded a Federal Fiscal Year 2025 Sustained Traffic Enforcement Program (STEP) grant to conduct additional traffic safety enforcements efforts.

The goals of the program are to focus on strategies and high-visibility enforcement that aim to save lives and prevent injuries by reducing the number of traffic accidents.

“We’re pleased to receive this grant to step up our road safety efforts with the goal of saving lives,” said Chief Deputy Tyler Heleine.

The STEP grant year runs from Oct. 1, 2024, through Sept. 30, 2025. During this timeframe, the Sheriff’s Department will conduct additional efforts to supplement campaign enforcement dates that are scheduled during some of the deadliest times of the year.

These specific enforcement efforts will focus on the leading causes of accidents. Some of the causes include speeding, impaired driving, electronic device use, failure to yield, disobeying traffic control signals and occupant restraint violations.

According to the Sheriff’s Office, this grant is funded by federal highway safety funds, which is administered by the Illinois Department of Transportation. The dollar amount of the grant is undisclosed at this time.

“Our mission is to make travel safe through directed, proactive patrols and to stop, cite and arrest those who choose to violate traffic laws,” Heleine said.

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