Arizona DPS gets state grant to help reduce DUI-related accidents
Oct 5, 2019, 5:30 AM | Updated: 10:02 pm
(Facebook Photo/Arizona Department of Public Safety)
PHOENIX – The Arizona Department of Public Safety announced Friday it has received a state grant of $80,000 to be used in efforts to reduce DUI-related accidents.
The DUI Abatement Council of the Arizona Governor’s Office of Highway Safety issued the award.
“The funding will basically allow the department to target specific areas across the state where we see a high number of alcohol-related injury and fatal collisions,” DPS spokesman Bart Graves told KTAR News 92.3 FM.
Graves said the grant will cover overtime costs related to increasing patrols in the trouble areas through the end of 2019.
$80K Grant to AZDPS by DUI Abatement Council Will Enhance Statewide Enforcement
Read more at: https://t.co/4qEanGHMXS pic.twitter.com/pfsqyP4YRu
— Dept. Public Safety (@Arizona_DPS) October 4, 2019
“Basically what we’re talking about is proactive policing instead of just going from call to call to call and answering calls for service,” he said.
The extra funding is needed because troopers are so busy responding to the aftermath of accidents that there’s no time for them to take preventative measures, Graves said.
Troopers’ shifts are typically filled with collision investigations, debris cleanup, helping disabled motorists and attending court proceedings.
“If we had a proactive stance in some of these areas where troopers are around and troopers could watch driver behavior at certain hours … the enforcement action could be taken and we could perhaps reduce the number of serious injury and fatal crashes due to impairment,” he said.
KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Nailea Leon contributed to this report.