The Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff Forensic Services Division has been awarded a competitive grant of $80,000 from the California Office of Traffic Safety. The funds will be used to continue supporting the Sheriff’s Office testing program for driving under the influence of drugs (DUID) cases.
The funds will be used for the purchase of required testing supplies that include certified reference standards, chemicals, and vials/caps. Biological samples are tested for illegal, prescription, and over-the-counter drugs commonly detected in
DUID cases. The goal is to meet or exceed the National Safety Council Recommendations for Toxicological Investigation of Drug-Impaired Driving as a nationally accredited board laboratory.
“This grant will ultimately improve testing capabilities and analysis that will benefit law enforcement agencies and improve public safety throughout the county,” said Contra Costa County Sheriff David Livingston. “This grant will help keep Contra
Costa families safe and will allow the crime lab to provide rapid results for investigators and prosecutors in these cases.”
The purchase of these supplies to support DUID testing will occur throughout the grant year. Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
