County to Target Repeat DUI Offenders

The Los Angeles County Probation Department has received a $270,000 state grant to attempt to reduce traffic deaths by targeting repeat DUI offenders.

The grant will enable more officer hours to commit to "monitoring of treatment and DUI program participation, conducting office visits, warrant sweeps, unannounced home searches, and random alcohol/drug testing to confirm compliance with court-ordered terms of probation."

According to the county's press release, while overall traffic deaths declined in California over the last year by 11.9 percent, from 3,081 killed in 2009 to 2,715 in 2010, DUI-related deaths still make up about 30 percent of all traffic fatalities.

Funding for this program is from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, according to the release.