DIXFIELD – The Dixfield Police Department recently received two grants from the Bureau of Public Safety that will help beef up patrols and ensure greater safety for residents.

Sgt. Jeff Howe said on Wednesday that the department received a first-time grant of $4,909 that will be used to provide 38 four-hour additional patrols aimed at curbing speeding.

He said many of those extra patrols will cover Route 2, particularly the Main Street area, and Route 142, also known as Weld Street. Some patrols may also be assigned to the Canton point Road and side streets as appropriate.

The additional speed patrols began on May 8 and will end on Sept. 14, a time period that covers the busy summer traffic season.

Howe said motorists who speed 1 to 9 mph over the limit are liable to be fined $119; 10-14 mph over, $137; 15-19 mph over, $185; 20-24, $215; and 25-29, $263. Anyone speeding 30 or more mph over the limit are subject to criminal speeding charges.

Those fines will be doubled if the speeding violation takes place in school or work zones. Right now, a major road construction project is taking place on a portion of Route 2 just east of the village.

The second grant, for $1,808, will focus on providing additional patrols to search for people who either don’t use a safety belt or use it improperly. The special patrols will take place everyday from May 18 through May 31.

This is the fourth year the Dixfield Police Department has received funding to conduct safety-belt-usage patrols.

Howe said safety belts must be worn properly. That means the belt must be fastened, with the belt extending from the shoulder to the buckle. Tucking the belt under the arm is illegal.

Driving without a properly worn safety belt could bring a $70 fine. Drivers are responsible for all passengers under the age of 18. Fines could be increased if the child weighs less than 40 pounds.