Clovis police will increase DUI enforcement with help of state grant
The Clovis Police Department will ramp up enforcement of DUI violations with the help a new grant awarded by the California Highway Patrol.
The $218,500 grant will not create additional officer positions, though it will add two traffic enforcement motorcycles and an electric Sedan for enforcement and education, said Ty Wood, spokesperson for the police department.
“These funds will allow us to purchase additional equipment, operate multiple DUI checkpoints and enforcement operations, and provide education to our students and community about the dangers of cannabis while being the wheel of a vehicle,” said Clovis Police Chief Curt Fleming.
Per the grant requirement, Clovis Police Department will hold seven DUI checkpoints during the one-year grant period until the end of June next year, as well as conduct various DUI saturation and education sessions, Wood said.
The one-year grant is a result of the passage of Proposition 64 — the Control, Regulate, and Tax Adult Use of Marijuana Act (AUMA) — which mandates the state t award grants to local governments and qualified nonprofit organizations to help communities combat impaired driving.
“The Cannabis Tax Fund Grant Program marks an important step toward reducing impaired driving crashes, increasing public awareness surrounding the dangers of impaired driving, and making California’s roadways a safer place to travel,” according to the CHP website.
In Clovis, police officers make an average of one arrest per day regarding DUI, according to police data. As of August 3rd, Clovis police have made 210 DUI arrests this year.
The number of DUI violations spikes during holidays. This past Fourth of July, four drivers were arrested for DUI. Eight drivers were arrested for DUI over the holiday weekend, according to the police department.
