The Orange County Sheriff’s Department has received a three year grant to fund efforts to catch drunk drivers.  The grant, in the amount of $874,852, was obtained by the California Office of Traffic Safety from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.  The grant money is to be used to fund sobriety checkpoints and other special law enforcement activities to combat drunk driving in the County of Orange, California.  The grant funds overtime pay for deputies to staff DUI checkpoints, DUI saturation patrols and Court Stings.  Court stings are where drivers whose licenses have been suspended are followed as they leave court to see if they try to drive away.  In such cases, the drivers are apprehended by undercover law enforcement officers.

The grant money will be distributed to mostly to cities in South Orange County, such as Lake Forest, Mission Viejo, Laguna Niguel, Dana Point, San Clemente and San Juan Capistrano, so be looking for increased law enforcement presence targeting driving under the influence in those areas.  If you or anyone you know is charged with a DUI, please contact the Law Office of Barry T. Simons at: 949-497-1729.  You may also visit our website at: www.duilawyerorangecounty.com.

According to an “Orange County Sheriff’s Department Press Release” dated: March 19, 2009, the Orange County Sheriff’s Department (OCSD) will be conducting DUI roving patrols in the cities of Dana Point, San Juan Capistrano and San Clemente on Saturday, March 21, 2009.

According to the Press Release, these Multi-City DUI Teams will target areas within the cities of Dana Point, San Juan Capistrano and San Clemente that have a high incidence of DUI related arrests and collisions.  Funding for the program is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Administration (NHTSA).