Fresno DA Secures $665,900 Grant to Tackle DUI 'Epidemic'

Crime

By Anthony W. Haddad

Published 7 months ago on

November 15, 2024

The Fresno County District Attorney’s Office received a $665,900 grant to support a specialized team prosecuting impaired driving cases. (GV Wire Composite/Paul Marshall)

Fresno County DA’s Office awarded $665,900 grant to combat impaired driving with a specialized prosecution team.
DA Lisa Smittcamp calls Fresno’s DUI rate an ‘epidemic,’ with 3,556 misdemeanors and 232 felonies filed in 2024, as of Oct. 30.
The grant will fund training and collaboration with law enforcement to enhance DUI case prosecution and road safety.

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The Fresno County District Attorney’s Office has received a $665,900 grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety to enhanced efforts against impaired driving, the Fresno County DA’s Office announced in a news release.

The funding will support a specialized prosecution team focused on handling cases involving alcohol and drug-impaired drivers.

District Attorney Lisa Smittcamp emphasized the program’s critical role in building more road safety. “Impaired driving remains a significant danger on our roads, particularly drivers suspected of operating a vehicle under the influence of both alcohol and drugs,” Smittcamp said.

“This funding strengthens our commitment to improving road safety and making sure justice is served effectively and efficiently.”

Smittcamp: Fresno County DUI Rate Is an ‘Epidemic’

Smittcamp recently said that the Fresno County DUI rate is an ‘epidemic’ at a news conference. At that time, Smittcamp said that there were 3,556 misdemeanor DUI cases and 232 felony cases had been filed in 2024 ahead of the holiday season.

In comparison, there were 3,892 misdemeanors and 270 felonies in all of 2022, and 4,840 misdemeanors and 308 felonies in 2023.

Fresno police arrested 11 drivers for DUI during a checkpoint on West Shaw Avenue and West Shaw Lane on Saturday night into Sunday morning, reflecting the continuing severity of the DUI problem in the county.

39 people were cited for driving with an unlicensed vehicle or a suspended/revoked license, as officers stopped approximately 500 vehicles at the northwest Fresno checkpoint.

The $665,900 grant, which runs through September 2025, will enable the prosecution team to collaborate with law enforcement and provide training to other prosecutors and investigators through the statewide Traffic Safety Resource Prosecutor Training Program.

The Fresno County District Attorney’s Office has received OTS funding for 21 consecutive years, during which the program has made notable strides. In 2023, the team filed 344 DUI cases, including 25 involving drugs and 30 combining alcohol and drug impairment.

Funding for the program comes through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

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Anthony W. Haddad,

Multimedia Journalist

Anthony W. Haddad, who graduated from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo with his undergraduate degree and attended Fresno State for a MBA, is the Swiss Army knife of GV Wire. He writes stories, manages social media, and represents the organization on the ground.