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 25 Anti-DUI Task Force will be combating this deadly problem through enforcement efforts in Contra Costa County. The Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff will be administering a recent $132,162 grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety for the entire county.
“The anti-DUI task force is named Avoid the 25 to send the message that if you don’t drink or use drugs and drive, you will avoid getting arrested by any of the 25 participating law enforcement agencies in the county,” said Captain Will Duke of the Office of the Sheriff.
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 and roving anti-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 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 25 Anti-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 anti-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 25 task force include:
- Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff
- Antioch Police Department
- BART Police Department
- Brentwood Police Department
- Clayton Police Department
- Concord Police Department
- Danville Police Department
- East Bay Regional Parks Police Department
- El Cerrito Police Department
- Hercules Police Department
- Kensington Police Department
- Lafayette Police Department
- Martinez Police Department
- Moraga Police Department
- Oakley Police Department
- Orinda Police Department
- Pinole Police Department
- Pittsburg Police Department
- Pleasant Hill Police Department
- Richmond Police Department
- San Pablo Police Department
- San Ramon Police Department
- Walnut Creek Police Department
- Contra Costa Community College District Police Department
- California Highway Patrol
In Cooperation With:
- Contra Costa County Probation and District Attorney’s Office
