CPD purchases new vehicles for DWI unit
CPD funded the purchase with grant money from MoDOT.
Published April 30, 2010
Two Columbia police officers are working exclusively to enforce impaired driving laws.
The Columbia Police Department accepted grant money to fund the program from the Missouri Department of Transportation's Highway Safety Division in fall 2009, a CPD news release stated.
The grant contract runs through Sept. 30, 2010, and is renewable. In 2009, CPD selected and trained the two officers for the full-time DWI Unit, then chose, purchased and outfitted the vehicles for the unit's use.
The DWI Unit now has two Chevrolet Tahoes, equipped with reflective emblems and a full array of lights, the news release stated. Both vehicles have breathalyzers, so suspected intoxicated drivers pulled over by the unit would not have to be transported to the police department for the test.
The first year of the grant contract paid for the cost of the vehicles, equipment and the two officers' salaries during the first year, the news release stated. The second year of the contract will cover 75 percent of the cost and 50 percent in subsequent years.
According to the news release, the department wants these vehicles to be highly visible and easy to identify.
"We want the public to be very aware that these two officers are solely dedicated to enforcing impaired driving laws," CPD spokeswoman Jessie Haden said in the release.
CPD Detective Jeff Westbrook said impaired driving is a concern for many Columbia residents.
"By and large, the number one complaint people in Columbia have is traffic," he said. "The community concern has been increasing over the past few years because people get killed in drunk driving accidents."
Westbrook said the department is putting a bigger focus on the issue because the community has been asking for it.