The Sacramento County Probation Department announced that it has been awarded a grant to step-up supervision of individuals repeatedly convicted of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
The $360,000 grant awarded by the California Office of Traffic Safety will help fund special probation supervision measures targeting high-risk, felony and repeat DUI offenders, according to a Probation Department news release.
"Over the past year, multiple probation home searches of repeat DUI offenders have resulted in the recovery of methamphetamines, a still producing 84 proof alcohol, a loaded handgun, a MAC-10 machine gun and ammunition, and the revocation of a dozen of mature marijuana plants," Chief Probation Officer Don L. Meyer said in a written statement.
The grant, he said, will assist in efforts to deal with the worst offenders who pose the highest risk to the community. Activities will include monitoring of treatment and DUI program participation, conducting office visits, warrant sweeps, unannounced home searches, and random alcohol and drug testing to confirm compliance with court-ordered terms of probation.
Traffic deaths from all causes declined in California by 11.9 percent, from 3,081 in 2009 to 2,715 in 2010, according to the news release. Although the number of deaths involving alcohol-impaired drivers also declined, officials said, DUI deaths account for 30 percent of traffic fatalities.
About Comments
Reader comments on Sacbee.com are the opinions of the writer, not The Sacramento Bee. If you see an objectionable comment, click the "report abuse" button below it. We will delete comments containing inappropriate links, obscenities, hate speech, and personal attacks. Flagrant or repeat violators will be banned. See more about comments here.