Santa Barbara County Probation Department receives grant to supervise people with multiple DUI convictions

SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, Calif. – The Santa Barbara County Probation Department was awarded a $178,000 grant to fund an intensive probation supervision program for high-risk DUI offenders who have multiple DUI convictions.

“This grant provides critical resources and services to individuals with a focus on reducing the number of alcohol and drug-involved traffic crashes,” said Tanja Heitman, Santa Barbara County Probation Department Chief.

The grant came from the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) and will go toward check-ins with probationers to make sure they are following court-ordered terms of their probation, according to the Probation Department.

The grant will also pay for warrant operations that target probation violations and DUI suspects who do not appear in court, alcohol testing, officer training in the use and calibration of Portable Alcohol Screening (PAS) devices, and collaborating with courts and prosecutors to establish probation orders, among other things.

The grant program runs through September 2023.