A nearly $130,000 grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety will give the Santa Barbara County Probation Department the resources to make sure that the worst-of-the-worst DUI—driving under the influence—offenders are complying with court orders.
A press release from the Probation Department said that felony and repeat misdemeanor DUI offenders make up a large portion of the traffic crashes involving alcohol or drugs.
The grant will fund deputy probation officers to “intensely monitor” drivers on probation for felony DUI or multiple DUI convictions. Supervision for the high-risk offenders will include unannounced home searches, random alcohol and drug testing, and ensuring compliance with court orders for education and treatment programs.
The grant is intended to reduce the number of people killed and injured in alcohol and other drug-related collisions. In 2012, 18 people were killed and 298 injured in such crashes in Santa Barbara County.
In collaboration with other local law enforcement agencies, the Probation Department will conduct warrant service operations targeting people who don’t make their court appearances following a DUI arrest.
“California’s roadways are still among the safest in the nation,” Rhoda Craft, director of the state Office of Traffic Safety, said in a press release. “But to meet future mobility, safety, and sustainability objectives, we must create safer roadways for all users. The Santa Barbara County Probation Department will be using these and other resources to reach the vision we all share—toward zero deaths, every one counts.”
Managing Editor Camillia Lanham compiled this week’s Community Corner. Send comments or ideas to the Sun via email at [email protected].
