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Contact:  Officer Kevin Schofield #91

                 BPD Public Information Officer

                 (510) 981- 5752

Berkeley PD Announces Increased

 DUI Enforcement

Federal Grant Paves Way For Stepped-Up Coverage

Berkeley, California (January 26, 2004) – Berkeley Police have a simple message:  if you’re driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, you will be stopped and arrested.  The Department will put to work a $222,185 federal traffic safety grant that steps-up DUI coverage on a number of fronts, the Department announced today.

“Driving Under the Influence is a crime, and simply will not be tolerated,” said Berkeley Police Chief Roy L. Meisner.  “Alcohol-involved crashes needlessly take lives and injure people.  These are clearly preventable incidents.”

The grant will pay for two officers to work two nights a week.  The officers will specifically be devoted to driving under the influence (DUI) enforcement.  It also provides funding to staff eight DUI sobriety checkpoints along with a new trailer to transport all of the related equipment and 14 officers to staff the checkpoints. 

“Adding new tools in the fight against DUI makes sense and helps save lives,” said Sunne Wright McPeak, Secretary of the California Business, Transportation & Housing Agency, which awarded the grant through the Office of Traffic Safety (OTS).  “We’re fully in support of what the Berkeley Police Department is doing to stop this senseless crime.”  The grant is part of the $35.2 million in statewide traffic safety grants announced during 2003. 

Berkeley PD will work diligently through vigilant enforcement and a “zero tolerance” philosophy to continue to get dangerous DUI drivers off the road.

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