In November of 1999 Michael Barruzza was elected Sheriff of . The next year, with the help of Lt Terry Pangburn and Sharane Orendas, of the New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety, a Community Traffic Safety Grant was written and approved. In 2001 Sheriff Michael Barruzza hired G. William Garrison, a retired Millville Police Officer, to administer the grant.
The grant charges the program with reducing the number of serious motor vehicle crashes and the related deaths caused by these crashes.
The Traffic Safety Task Force was formed in 2001. This Task Force consists of members from the Sheriff's Department, State Police, the county's three p olice departments, rescue squads, paramedics, schools, road department, Emergency Management, hospital and general citizens.
The initial focus of the Task Force was to increase seat belt and child safety seat usage. At that time, New Jersey had the worst compliance rate in the nation and Cumberland County had the worst compliance rate in the state. As Sharane Orandas stated, "We are the worst of the worst".
The Task Force has addressed seat belt and child safety seat compliance with posters:
Even Santa Buckles Up
You Buckle Them...So We Don't Have To
We ARE Survivors! (a series of four posters)
I Only Date Men...Who Buckle Up
Wherever You Drive, Seat Belts Save Lives
The Task Force has also addressed seat belt and child safety seat compliance with video public service announcements:
Be A Winner, Buckle Up
I'm Tired
School Bus Safety, Its Not A Game
The Most Important Accessory
Sporting The Right Equipment (will be out in the Fall of 2008)
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