SANTA BARBARA COUNTY'S AVOID THE 12 CAMPAIGN NAMED BEST MULTI-JURISDICTIONAL ENFORCEMENT EFFORT IN CALIFORNIA

SANTA BARBARA COUNTY- SEPTEMBER 21st, 2009

California Law Enforcement Challenge Results Announced

 
Avoid the 12, Santa Barbara County’s crackdown on impaired drivers, is the best multi-jurisdictional enforcement and public information effort in California. 

Results of the California Law Enforcement Challenge were announced yesterday, (Sept. 21), said Commander Dominick Palera of the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department, who, along with coordinator Deputy Win Smith, began the program in four years ago.

“Seeing Avoid the 12 grow and achieve this award fills me with pride,” Palera stated. 

The county effort beat out second-place Avoid the 100 in Los Angeles County along with Fresno County’s Avoid the 21 and Monterey County’s Avoid the 18, which tied for third. California has 41 Avoid campaigns, each named for the number of law enforcement agencies in each county. 

The competition is sponsored by the California Office of Traffic Safety and the California Highway Patrol. Entries are judged on officer training, policies and procedures, public information, recognition programs, enforcement efforts and results.

“Avoid the 12 allows all agencies in the county to go after a common goal. With reduced law enforcement budgets these days, we are grateful for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration funds that allow us to run our checkpoints and DUI saturation patrols,” Palera commented. Funds come through the state Office of Traffic Safety.

“There is no question that public attitudes toward DUI along with stalwart coverage by local news media had a big effect on this honor,” he remarked.

Palera and Smith recognized Deputy Tom Green, the campaign’s staffing director, Jacky Green, who handles financial matters, and Jan Ford, public information director, for their contributions to the effort.