Five Orange County cities—Anaheim, Brea, Fullerton, Irvine, and Orange—received funding this month from the state’s cannabis sales tax revenue for their police officers to be better trained in preventing tragedies caused by people driving under the influence (DUI) of alcohol or drugs.
This year, the California Highway Patrol (CHP) Cannabis Tax Fund Grant distributed over $12 million among 45 local law enforcement agencies and nonprofits that applied for the grant to fund DUI intervention and prevention projects.
Part of the funds would be allocated toward a mobile commands post—a roadside testing site equipped to detect any influence of alcohol or drugs on drivers—for officers to be trained out in the field, a spokesperson for the city’s police department told The Epoch Times.
The City of Orange also received about $255,000, which, besides covering DUI training, will backfill patrol officers attending training to ensure an adequate level of police presence to keep the community safe.
Sergeant Phil McMullin, spokesman for the city’s police department, told The Epoch Times this grant would allow thirty officers to be trained.
“Our goal is to save lives,” he said. “We have seen far too much tragedy lately due to impaired drivers.”
Irvine was also awarded the grant, according to the CHP—but the city council has not discussed or disclosed the amount of the grant or how it will be utilized.
California voters passed Proposition 64 in 2016—The Control, Regulate and Tax Adult Use Marijuana Act—to legalize the recreational use of marijuana for adults 21 and older. The proposition also includes a mandate for the state to set aside tax revenue from cannabis sales for the CHP grant to reduce impaired driving incidents in the state.
Local agencies can submit grant proposals in February to apply for funds for their projects in the following fiscal year, which starts July 1.
In 2018, DUI crashes led to over 3,800 fatalities statewide, with 437 deaths caused by drugs only and 307 deaths by a mixture of drugs and alcohol.
Anaheim, Fullerton, and Irvine’s police departments did not respond to requests for comment by press time.