The SAPD was awarded $580K for DUI checkpoints and road safety programs

SANTA ANA, CA – The Santa Ana Police Department will increase patrols throughout the community and provide other traffic safety programs to help reduce the number of serious injuries and deaths on roads.

“The safety of our motorists and pedestrians in our community is a high priority,” Santa Ana Chief of Police David Valentin said. “The resources and programs available through this funding will allow us to continue our proactive prevention education and traffic enforcement efforts, especially as we enter the holiday season.”

The grant will provide additional programs and resources, including:

• DUI checkpoints and patrol focused on stopping suspected impaired drivers.
• High visibility distracted driving enforcement operations targeting drivers in violation of California’s hands-free cell phone law.
• Enforcement operations focused on the most dangerous driver behaviors that put the safety of people biking or walking at risk.
• Enforcement operations focused on top violations that cause crashes; speeding, failure to yield, stop sign and/or red-light running, and improper turning or lane changes.
• Community presentations on traffic safety issues such as distracted driving, impaired driving, speeding, bicycle and pedestrian safety.
• Collaborative enforcement efforts with neighboring agencies.
• Officer training and/or recertification; Standardized Field Sobriety Test (SFST), Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement (ARIDE), and Drug Recognition Expert (DRE).

The grant program will run through September 2023.

Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS), through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).