Law enforcement efforts to keep Defiance County roads safe will get another yearlong boost with the
help of two state of Ohio grants earned by the Defiance County Sheriff’s Office.
The awards totaling more than $45,092.50 to fund 700 hours of traffic safety and DUI/OVI enforcement
on community roads and highways. Awards from the Ohio Traffic Safety Office are part of the Impaired
Driving Enforcement Program (IDEP) and Selective Traffic Enforcement Program (STEP).
Traffic enforcement remains a priority for Defiance County Sheriff’s Office, with more than 400 square
miles of county roadways to patrol. The Impaired Driving Enforcement Program (IDEP) grant will be used
primarily in the evening and overnight hours to try to reduce fatal and serious injury crashes. The
Selective Traffic Enforcement Program (STEP) grant will be used to conduct high visibility enforcement,
focusing on issues such as speed, distracted driving, aggressive driving, failure to yield, and personal
restraint violations. Renewed grant funding covers overtime costs incurred between October 2023
through September 2024.
For more information regarding traffic safety efforts, visit the Defiance County Sheriff’s Office website at
https://www.defiance-county.com/dcso/ or find us on Facebook at
https://www.facebook.com/DefianceCountySheriff/.