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HomeMy WebLinkAbout13-11-13 2014 AVOID Kick-off News Release BAKERSFIELD POLICE DEPARTMENT PRESS RELEASE Greg Williamson, Chief of Police Contact: Sergeant Bill Ware (661) 326-3836 bware@bakersfieldpd.us For Immediate Release November 13, 2013 BAKERSFIELD POLICE DEPARTMENT RECEIVES GRANT FOR COUNTY-WIDE DUI ENFORCEMENT CAMPAIGN Drunk and drugged driving remains the number one killer on our roadways, with 774 deaths and over 24,000 injuries. The “Avoid the 18” DUI Task Force will be combating this deadly problem through DUI enforcement efforts in Kern County. The Bakersfield Police Department will be administering a recent $195,000 grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety for the entire county. Bakersfield Police Chief Greg Williamson said “The Bakersfield Police Department is committed to ensuring traffic safety on city roadways.” The “Avoid the 18” 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 the fifteen 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, multi-agency DUI Task Force deployments, and local 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 who leave court hearings and drive away on suspended licenses after being ordered not to drive by a judge. A large part of grant funding will go to DUI/Driver‟s License Checkpoints – highly visible, highly publicized events not only meant to make arrests, but to deter impaired driving in the first place. Crashes involving alcohol has shown to have dropped by up to 20 percent when well-publicized checkpoints are conducted often enough. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), checkpoints have provided the most effective documented results 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. 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 18‟ task force include: Arvin Police Department Bakersfield Police Department Bear Valley Police Department California City Police Department California Highway Patrol Cal-State University Bakersfield Police Department Kern County Park Rangers Kern County Probation Department Kern County Sheriff's Department McFarland Police Department Ridgecrest Police Department Shafter Police Department Stallion Springs Police Department Taft Police Department Tehachapi Police Department You can now send an anonymous text message to the Bakersfield Police Department. It‟s quick and it‟s easy. Simply enter 274637 into your phone and text BPDCRIMES along with your message. The text is sent to the police department and the sender remains completely anonymous. Tips can also be anonymously sent through the smartphone “TipSubmit” mobile App or via email at https://www.tipsubmit.com.