A new state grant allows the Haverhill Police Department to purchase and install car seats for area families. (File photograph)
The Haverhill Police Department is ready to help neighbors in need. Using funds from a recent Child Passenger Safety grant from the Executive Office of Public Safety, members of the department plan to purchase and install car seats for city families free of charge.
A certified car seat inspection site, the Bailey Boulevard police station is one of 58 local police and fire departments to benefit from a share of $190,000 in funding.
“This grant helps us better serve families who find it difficult to afford car and booster seats to protect their children. We can also assist parents and caregivers with the proper installation of their child’s seats,” Haverhill Officer Lance Powell said in a statement.
According to the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration, properly installed car and booster seats have been proven to reduce the risk of death and injury to children involved in crashes, yet an estimated 60 percent of seats are incorrectly installed.
State law requires all children to ride in federally approved child safety seats until they are at least 8-years-old or over 57 inches tall.
To schedule a car seat appointment with Officer Powell, call 978-373-1212 x1530.