Warrenton Police Chief Larry Ellard asked for board approval to apply for three grants through MoDOT at the March 4 board of aldermen meeting. 

If received, the three grants would account for just over $15,000 and would largely be used to cover overtime pay brought on by expanded enforcement initiatives. 

The first grant, and one of two the department has received previously, was for $4,000 to cover overtime pay that will be incurred during an upcoming initiative to combat drunk driving. 

Once started, officers will be more consistently patrolling for drunk or impaired drivers usually during the hours of 5 p.m. to 3 a.m. on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights, according to the grant application. 

Both Ellard and Mayor Eric Schlueter were adamant that while they were increasing their enforcement of DUI and DWI violations, officers would not be “waiting outside of bars” to entrap citizens. 

“I always get this every year after we talk about the DWI grant, we are not sitting outside bars, hunting people down, doing entrapment,” said Schlueter. 

Ellard was in agreement and stated frankly, when his officers have enforced drunk driving laws through this grant in the past, they did not even need to wait outside of establishments to catch offenders. 

The second of the two grants, and the second one the department has received in the past, was for $5,600 to purchase additional mobile ticket printers and the ancillary equipment required for officers to use them in their vehicles. 

If awarded, the department would purchase five new printers for vehicles, which they state in the grant application would increase officer and driver safety. 

“Since the installation of mobile ticket printers, the time an officer spends on a traffic stop has decreased by minutes. Thus, shortening the time roadside and lessening the threat to the safety of the violator, other motorists, as well as the officer,” said the grant application. 

The third application was the largest of the three, and was a new grant to the department. 

If awarded, the department would receive three new radars for a cost of $7,443 and up to $2,000 to cover overtime pay related to traffic enforcement. 

The department plans to increase patrols enforcing laws against hazardous moving violations in conjunction with the expected construction impact in the area from the Improve I-70 project. 

Construction is expected to begin in the county this spring and will widen the interstate to three lanes from just past Warrenton to its intersection with Interstate 70. 

“With Interstate 70 being a major thoroughfare for thousands of motorists per day, the city of Warrenton is expected to see severe travel issues,” said the grant application. 

The funds and equipment would be used to discourage hazardous driving especially in the higher traffic and work zones created by the project. 

Alderman Larry Corder did question Ellard about whether the grant funds had been used in their entirety in previous years. Ellard answered that they had not always expunged all the available funds for overtime at which point the remainder was rescinded by MoDOT. 

“You’re allotted a certain amount, and whatever you don’t use, you’re not getting paid,” said Ellard. 

Following those questions, the board voted unanimously in favor of the measure and the police department will wait to hear on grant approval from MoDOT following their application.