Santa Rosa Police Department Receives Grant for County-Wide DUI Enforcement Campaign

Drunk and drugged driving remains the number one killer on our roadways, with 1,197 alcohol-involved deaths and over 23,000 injuries reported statewide in 2013. The “Avoid the 13” DUI Task Force will be combating this deadly problem through DUI enforcement efforts in Sonoma County. Santa Rosa Police Department will be administering a recent $ 165,000 grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety for the entire county.

“The Santa Rosa Police Department recognizes the importance of maintaining a strong focus in the area of DUI education, awareness, and enforcement. This grant from the Office of Traffic Safety will provide the funding to all law enforcement agencies throughout the county to enhance its proactive efforts in the area of DUI enforcement” said Chief Hank Schreeder.

The “Avoid the 13” DUI Task Force is named to send the message that if you don’t drink or use drugs and drive, you will avoid getting arrested by any of the13 participating law enforcement agencies in the county.

The grant activities will specifically target those who get behind the wheel after drinking too much or using drugs that impair driving. Officers from law enforcement agencies across the county will jointly staff DUI/Driver License Checkpoints and roving DUI saturation patrols. Additionally, funding will target the ‘worst of the worst’ repeat DUI offenders with Warrant/Probation Sweeps and Court Sting Enforcement Operations focusing on DUI offenders with suspended licenses who drive from court hearings after being ordered not to by a judge.

Motorists can expect to see special DUI campaigns during the winter and summer holiday periods as well as on Halloween, Super Bowl Sunday, St. Patrick’s Day, Cinco de Mayo, and during local special events with identified DUI Problems. Funding for the grant comes from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Agencies participating in the ‘Avoid the 13’ taskforce include:

• Cloverdale Police Department

• Cotati Police Department

• Healdsburg Police Department

• Petaluma Police Department

• Rohnert Park Police Department

• Santa Rosa Police Department

• Sebastopol Police Department

• Sonoma Police Department

• Windsor Police Department

• Sonoma County Sheriff’s Department

• Sonoma State University Police Department

• Santa Rosa Junior College Police Department

• California Highway Patrol-Santa Rosa Area

Other Assisting Agencies:

• Sonoma County Probation Department

• Sonoma County District Attorney’s Office

• Alcohol Beverage Control Agency

• Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD)