Spring Break
Safety Grant To Help Lower DUIs
Freesia Singngam
Issue date: 3/27/08 Section: News
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The grant, which was obtained through the Connecticut Department of Transportation, is part of a 2008 Comprehensive DUI Enforcement Program and will be used to fund specific police patrols targeting drunk drivers from now until Sept. 7. Police will use mobile DUI patrols and sobriety checkpoints or roadblocks on various dates.
DUI patrol officers will be sent out on various Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights specifically to find drunk drivers, according to Major Ronald Blicher, executive officer of the UConn Police. When they set up sobriety checkpoints or roadblocks, UConn Police will notify the press to announce it to the campus.
"We feel it's appropriate given the fact that we've had some pretty high profile cases recently that involved drinking and driving," Blicher said.
He mentioned the hit-and-run death of UConn freshman Carlee Wines in 2007 and said that although Anthony P. Alvino, the driver that struck Wines, was not convicted of drunk driving, many believed that there was alcohol involved.
There was also another pedestrian death on North Eagleville Road five years ago, Blicher said.
"It's the continued effort by us to address the problem and collateral situation that develops when drivers drink and drive," Blicher said.
UConn Police applied for this grant when they found out it was available.
"We knew that the funds were there," Blicher said. "We usually do this every year that we know that it's available."
Several years ago, UConn Police applied and received funding for the DUI vehicle, specifically marked "DUI."
All UConn Police officers receive specialized training in the detection and apprehension of DUI offenders, Blicher said.
Contact Freesia Singngam
at Freesia.Singngam@UConn.edu.
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 2
Thinking Clearly
posted 3/27/08 @ 1:26 PM EST
Put that money into projects that would actually make the campus safer. Apartment Shuttle on Weekends. Taxi service that takes people who should not drive. (Continued…)
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