The Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff is pleased to announce that it has received a $324,000 California Office of Traffic Safety grant to purchase new breath alcohol analyzers, which are routinely used to test the breath alcohol content of drivers suspected by police to be under the influence.
The Sheriff’s Office Crime Laboratory is responsible for ensuring breath alcohol analyzers are working properly and providing accurate test results. The “DUI Breath Alcohol Instrumentation” grant will fund the purchase of 24 new breath alcohol analyzers replacing the ones that are currently in use by law enforcement agencies throughout the county.
“The replacement of the older breath alcohol analyzers ensures that the Sheriff’s Crime Laboratory continues to maintain the highest quality analyses in driving under the influence of alcohol cases,” said Chief Pam Hofsass of the Sheriff’s Office Forensic Services Division. “This is part of our effort at making our streets, roads, and freeways safer by reducing the numbers of people killed or injured in alcohol related traffic collisions.”
The grant includes training for approximately 4,000 law enforcement personnel on the theory and operation of the new breath alcohol analyzers. The roll-out of the new analyzers, including training of law enforcement personnel and validation of the breath alcohol analyzers, is anticipated to take approximately one year.
Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
