FLORENCE, SC (WBTW) – The Florence County Sheriff’s Office says traffic deaths are down after hiring new deputies.
Sheriff Kenny Boone says in 2014, 23 families lost loved ones on Florence County roads and in 2015, that number rose to 38. New 2016 numbers reflect fatalities were down significantly last year to 27, 11 fewer than the year before.
The Florence County Sheriff’s Office held a press conference this week to introduce the new Florence County Sheriff’s Office Traffic Safety Unit.
“We’re taking our traffic collisions and also with our crime statistics and mapping those out and we have areas within our county known as what we call hot spots, and our traffic enforcement will be focused on those areas for sure,” Sheriff Boone said.
During the press conference on Friday, the sheriff announced deputies began working to address the issue in 2015 when they added two deputies to specialize in DUI recognition. The sheriff’s office also was awarded a grant through the South Carolina Department of Public Safety, which funds and outfits three additional deputies to focus on traffic enforcement.
“Everything we do is measured by whether it tends to make the people of Florence County safer. In our view, the Traffic Safety Unit will do that,” Sheriff Boone said.
