By CAROLINE CARMICHAEL / Staff Writer

Chilton County residents can feel a little safer on the roads because of a traffic safety grant newly awarded by Gov. Kay Ivey to the Chilton County Sheriff’s Office, effective October 2017 to September 2018.

According to Sheriff John Shearon, the grant was awarded through the Highway Traffic Safety Office of the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs.

The Highway Trafic Safety Office aims to decrease traffic related injuries and fatalities.

“The funds will be used for extra patrols across Chilton County, in order to promote traffic safety, protect our citizens and prevent crime,” Shearon said.

A CCSO press release revealed that ADECA identified Alabama Highways 22, 155, 145 and Interstate-65 as “problems areas” to focus on.

The grant will help fund extra shifts for deputies, high visibility enforcement, extra patrols and checkpoints on these roadways.

“This will not affect the deputies that are on shift,” the release read, “it will add additional deputies to the shift.”

Shearon said, “The sheriff’s office expects increased arrests will be made for impaired driving and felony drug arrests during these extra patrol shifts.”

Shearon thanked ADECA for the grant and for the department’s relationship with CCSO.