$57,000 Grant Awarded to Redlands PD for Anti-DUI Efforts, Checkpoints

The Redlands Police Department has been awarded a new traffic safety grant for an anti-DUI program aimed at preventing deaths and injuries on Redlands roadways.   

Enforcement measures to combat impaired driving are coming as a result of a recent $57,000 grant awarded by the California Office of Traffic Safety to the City of Redlands to conduct 12 DUI/Driver’s License Checkpoints. RPD is dedicated to keeping the City’s streets safe through both enforcement and education.

“Our partnership with the State Office of Traffic Safety to provide for education and enforcement of laws against driving while under the influence is a key part of the Redlands Police Department’s comprehensive Responsible Redlands initiative,” said Redlands Police Chief Mark Garcia. “Targeted education and enforcement efforts to reduce the devastating effects of alcohol abuse are making our community safer.”

The special DUI Checkpoint grant will assist in efforts to reduce the number of persons killed and injured in alcohol and other drug related collisions in the community.  The grant activities will specifically target impaired driving offenders as well as educate the public on the dangers of impaired driving through the use of DUI/Driver’s License Checkpoints.  When possible, specially trained officers will be available to evaluate those suspected of drug-impaired driving. 

Drunk and drugged driving are among America’s deadliest crimes. In 2011, a modern day low of 774 people were killed and more than 24,000 injured in alcohol and drug-impaired crashes in California.  Last year Redlandsexperienced 35 injuries as the result of alcohol related crashes. Crashes involving alcohol have been shown to drop by up to 20 percent when well-publicized checkpoints are conducted often enough.  Checkpoints have proven to be the most effective of any of the DUI enforcement strategies, while yielding considerable cost savings of $6 for every $1 spent and are supported by nearly 90 percent of California drivers.

Funding for this program is from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.