OXFORD — The Village of Oxford Police Department was awarded $13,094.26 for the purchase of a speed trailer and permanent school safety beacon system.

The funding was secured in full as part of the Safe Routes to School funding that was made available as result of a collaborative partnership between the Village of Oxford and the Oxford Academy and Central School District. The school safety beacon was installed by the Village of Oxford’s Department of Public Works and configured by members of the Village of Oxford Police Department at no further cost.

The acquisition is representative of a shared goal in making the community’s roadways safer for students traveling to and from school as well as for all community members and guests. According to statistics provided by the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee (GTSC), travelling at an unsafe speed is the leading cause of motor vehicle accidents in Chenango County, and speeding has consistently remained a leading cause of fatal motor vehicle accidents statewide. Statistics would show that the dangers posed appear to be heightening. In 2014, OPD patrols served a 43 percent increase in traffic violations in the Village of Oxford alone.