EL CENTRO - A grant of $108,000 was given to the El Centro Police Department on Wednesday. It was granted by The California Office of Traffic Safety and will go towards making the streets of El Centro a bit safer.
In an effort to cut down on DUIs and make the streets of El Centro as safe as they can be, El Centro PD will use the money to fund their already existing program "Avoid DUI".
The program was established two years ago and it involves setting up impaired driving enforcements like sobriety checkpoints and saturation patrols.
According to El Centro Police Department Commander, Jeff mason, financially, the grant lends a huge hand to the department.
"We would be able to do those efforts using our own overtime budgets, we just don't have the funds", he says. "Obviously times are tough for all municipalities, but because of this funding, we're allowed to do these activities."
The "Avoid DUI" program will kick off once again in October, when the new fiscal year begins.
Although the program originates at the El Centro Police Department, Commander Mason says that it will span the whole county, getting help from other law enforcement agencies, like it has in the past.
With the new school year kicking off in Imperial County this week, the streets will be plenty busy with people, and according to Commander Mason, the safety of the residents is top priority for the police department.
"Being a motorist, a bicyclist, or a pedestrian, affects everyone", says Commander Mason. "The safer that we can keep our streets and keep impaired drivers away from doing harm to others, it makes our community better and it makes it more desirable and enjoyable place to both live and work".
According to police department documents, there was 15 total DUI-related accidents in Imperial County last fiscal year, only a handful having injuries. Far less than any other county in California.
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