Florence, Ariz. –The Arizona Governor’s Office of Highway Safety recently provided over $300,000 in grant funding to the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office to purchase a Regional DUI Task Force Van. The “Pinal County Regional DUI Task Force” van will be unveiled to the public on Friday October 2nd, 2009 at Carr-McNatt Park, 1115 North Brown Ave. in Casa Grande. A Press Conference has been scheduled for 5:00 p.m. Sheriff Paul Babeu wants to invite the media and public to view and tour the van. Sheriff Paul Babeu, Governors Office of Highway Safety Director Alberto Gutier and other community leaders will be present to answer questions during the Press Conference.

The Pinal County Regional DUI Task Force van will be used to conduct weekly enforcement efforts throughout the County and will provide a strong visual deterrent to warn drivers about the dangers of driving while impaired by alcohol and drugs.

Arizona has a powerful program aimed at reducing alcohol-related fatalities; the core of which is an extensive network of DUI Task Forces conducting multi-agency enforcement and checkpoints throughout the State. The Pinal County Sheriff’s Office, founding partner of the Pinal County Regional DUI Task Force, has partnered with 13 law enforcement agencies across Pinal County to combine resources and implement multi-agency DUI details in an effort to impact impaired driving related incidents.

Sheriff Babeu is a strong proponent of the enforcement of state DUI and Impaired Driver Laws. “It was crucial that the largest law enforcement agency in the County, PCSO, spearhead this task force and support the agencies we work with. Knowing alcohol-related collisions are the leading cause of death for people between the ages of (6) six and (33) thirty-three, and that more than 50 percent of all fatal collisions in Pinal County are alcohol related shows us there is a serious problem that we can have a definite impact on if we work together through strict enforcement and zero tolerance,” stated Sheriff Paul Babeu.

“I am very appreciative of the partnership and support the Arizona Governor’s Office of Highway Safety and Director Alberto Gutier have provided to the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office and the Pinal County Regional DUI Task Force”, said Sheriff Paul Babeu. “The funding provided for this DUI van will undoubtedly improve the safety of our residents by providing our law enforcement agencies a place to safely and more efficiently process those suspected of driving while impaired.”

pictured in photo from left to right:
PCSO Grants Administrator Tim Gaffney, Sheriff Paul Babeu, Traffic Unit Sergeant Matt Thomas