The Town of Jaffrey has accepted a grant for $8,200 from the state to do extra traffic-enforcement patrols.

During a Select Board meeting on Monday, Police Chief Todd Muilenberg explained that the grant is distributed by the Department of Highways, and is federally funded. The town has previously received similar grants in the past.

Muilenberg said there are several aspects of roadway behavior that can be targeted with extra patrols under the grant, including speeding, a DUI enforcement week, ensuring that minors are wearing seatbelts and patrolling for drivers who are texting or using their phones in violation of New Hampshire’s hands-free law.

According to the State of New Hampshire Insurance Department, in 2020, distracted driving accounted for as many as 30 percent of all crashes in the state, and portable electronic devices accounted for about 11 percent of those distraction-related crashes.

According to the New Hampshire Office of Highway Safety annual report, there were 105 fatal crashes in the state in 2021, resulting in a total of 117 fatalities.

The town is required to provide a 25 percent match, meaning Jaffrey is must contribute a total of $2,050, Muilenberg explained. Jaffrey’s contribution would be provided through the current year’s police budget, made up of cost savings from times when the department was not fully staffed.

Muilenberg said before applying for the grant, he polled his officers to ensure that they would be willing to work additional hours to perform the additional patrols.

“We’ve got a good group of traffic-oriented officers, and they were excited to do this,” Muilenberg said.

The grant goes into effect in October.

Selectman Charlie Turcotte said he was in favor of the extra patrols.

“I think it’s great to have. I see it all the time,” Turcotte said of distracted driving. He encouraged Muilenberg to continue to seek out grants that could benefit the department or the town.

Selectman Kevin Chamberlain moved to accept the grant funding, and Turcotte seconded. The motion passed unanimously.

Ashley Saari can be reached at 603-924-7172, Ext. 244, or asaari@ledgertranscript.com. She’s on Twitter @AshleySaariMLT.