Angels Camp Police Dept receives grant for bi-county DUI enforcement campaign

ANGELS CAMP POLICE DEPARTMENT RECEIVES GRANT

FOR BI-COUNTY DUI ENFORCEMENT CAMPAIGN

Drunk and drugged driving remains the number one killer on our roadways, with 802 DUI deaths and nearly 24,000 Alcohol Involved Injuries reported statewide. The “Avoid the 2” DUI Task Force will be combating this deadly problem through DUI enforcement efforts in Calaveras and Tuolumne Counties. The Angels Camp Police Department will be administering a recent $119,000 grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety for the cities of Angels Camp and Sonora. 

“Despite our aggressive, proactive enforcement efforts related to DUI, there are still folks out there that make the bad choice to get behind the wheel. Prescription, narcotic, and marijuana drug abuse are on the rise, and anyone that makes the decision to drive while impaired has the potential to affect the entire community. This grant will help us deal with those issues.” –Angels Camp Police Chief Todd Fordahl.

The “Avoid the 2” 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 either of the two participating law enforcement agencies in both counties.  

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 both counties 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 driver’s licenses who drive from court hearings after being ordered not to by a judge.

“California’s roadways are still among the safest in the nation,” said OTS Director Rhonda Craft.  “But to meet future mobility, safety, and sustainability objectives, we must create safer roadways for all users.  The “Avoid the 2” DUI Task Force will be using these and other resources to reach the vision we all share – Toward zero deaths, every 1 counts.”

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 2’ taskforce include:

Angels Camp Police Department

Sonora Police Department