The Dane County Sheriff’s Office received five separate grants in 2009 that will train deputies and traffic enforcement on Dane County’s roads.
Of the five grants received by DCSO, four came from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation. The fifth was aimed solely at Operating While Intoxicated enforcement.
According to a release by DCSO, the funds received through the grants totaled $154,000.
“Although there aren’t many qualifications for the grants, money is awarded based upon data from crashes and fatalities related to drunk driving in each county,” Elise Schaffer, spokesperson for DCSO, said.
DCSO applied for and received additional grants for 2010, though the statement noted the amount is less than in previous years.
More than 3,500 citations were issued in 2009 by DCSO as part of the grant funding. The additional funding from the grants enables some deputies to work overtime, placing more focus on traffic enforcement while patrol deputies remain available to respond to service calls.
Sheriff’s deputies were able to take 49 drunk drivers off the road in 2009 as part of county-funded overtime hours, a release by the County Executive said.
The grant money also allows for further training for the deputies in best identifying and addressing impaired drivers.
“Field deputies are able to be trained in various ways, so then (they) are more apt to spot signs of drunk driving,” Schaffer said.
The statement by the County Executive also stated Dane County saw fewer alcohol-related crashes in 2009 than in previous years.
Of the 33 fatal crashes last year, alcohol was a factor in 11. According to the statement, that figure is down from the 17 alcohol-related traffic deaths in 2008.
In all, 307 OWI citations were issued last year. The statement noted that these figures only account for those citations issued by DCSO and not the Madison Police Department, State Patrol or other law enforcement agencies.
Schaffer said OWI numbers in recent years have remained consistent thanks in large part to the grants Dane County applies for annually.
-Jennie Johnson contributed to this report
