Placer County Probation Department to Monitor High-Risk DUI Offenders

Published on October 23, 2017

Placer County has been awarded a $90,437 grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety to the Placer County Probation Department, ensuring that high-risk, felony and repeat DUI offenders are complying with all court orders. These offenders are overrepresented in traffic crashes involving alcohol and other drugs, often with tragic results.

“This grant improves our ability to monitor probation compliance and hold DUI offenders accountable, a critical component of public safety and safe roadways,” said Placer County Chief Probation Officer Marshall Hopper.

The grant will allow the Probation Department to intensely monitor drivers on probation for felony DUI or multiple misdemeanor DUI convictions, including conducting unannounced home searches and random alcohol and drug testing; special monitoring to ensure compliance with court-ordered DUI education and treatment programs; and sending two law enforcement personnel to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's standardized field sobriety testing certified training.

This grant puts special focus on high-risk repeat DUI offenders, aimed at reducing the number of people killed and injured in alcohol- and other drug-related collisions in the county. In 2014, three lives were lost and 157 people injured in such crashes in Placer County.

“Probation orders help ensure that these offenders are not a risk to themselves or others,” said California Office of Traffic Safety Director Rhonda Craft. “By working on compliance, the Placer County Probation Department, with assistance from the Office of Traffic Safety, will be helping keep the streets across Placer safe for all.

While alcohol remains the most common contributor to DUI crashes, Placer County Probation Department supports the new effort from OTS that aims to drive awareness that “DUI doesn’t just mean booze.” Prescription medications and cannabis can also be impairing by themselves or, in combination with alcohol, can result in a DUI arrest.

Funding for this grant is from OTS, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.