The El Cajon Police Department says it will be cracking down on careless motorcyclists and automobile drivers who engage in behavior that put motorcyclists at risk.

Funded by state and federal grant money, the police force will spend March 11 dispatching heavy forces to areas in the city that have seen a particularly high number of crashes involving motorcycles and looking to make citations and/or arrests for speeding, driving under the influence, making illegal turns, and other violations “made by drivers and riders alike that can lead to motorcycle crashes.”

After a 37 percent drop between 2008 and 2010, police report a steep rise recently in the number of incidents involving motorcycles. Last year, 19 crashes injured 21 riders within city limits.

“As the economy turns upward, there will likely be more miles driven by all vehicles, plus more novice motorcycle riders who are untrained and unable to handle the power of today’s motorcycles. The message to all drivers and motorcyclists is: share in the responsibility and do your part by safely ‘sharing the road,’” reads a police bulletin announcing the operation.