The Berkeley Police Department announced a $200,000 grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety to support traffic enforcement and education, according to a City of Berkeley release published November 13, 2026. That is the announcement date, not a date for a particular enforcement operation.
The grant program runs through September 2027. The department describes reducing serious road injuries and deaths as its goal; the announcement does not report results from the new grant.
What the grant will support
The release lists DUI checkpoints and patrols focused on suspected impaired drivers, along with high-visibility enforcement of California’s hands-free cell phone law.
Other operations will focus on driving behaviors that put people walking or biking at risk. The listed violations include speeding, failure to yield, stop-sign or red-light running, and improper turns or lane changes.
Education and training are part of the program
The grant also includes community presentations covering distracted and impaired driving, speeding, and bicycle and pedestrian safety. It lists collaborative enforcement with neighboring agencies as another component.
For officers, the release identifies training or recertification in the Standard Field Sobriety Test to help detect and evaluate impairment in suspected impaired drivers.
What residents can check
The November 13 release outlines the program, but does not give specific checkpoint dates, patrol locations or a schedule of community presentations. It should not be read as notice of an operation at a particular intersection.
Readers can consult the City of Berkeley’s November 13, 2026 announcement for the stated scope. The release says funding comes from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
