San Rafael, CA – Twenty out of 22 DUI offenders were found to be in compliance with conditions of their probation during a recent unannounced check by the Marin County Probation Department.
A probation officer holds a bottle of sparkling wine confiscated during a DUI compliance check.On September 26, two teams of four officers conducted the searches for offenders who had been convicted of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. One offender was in violation for alcohol use after three empty bottles of wine were found in a kitchen garbage can and several opened and unopened bottles of wine and sparkling wine were found in cabinets and a refrigerator. The violation will be placed before a judge to determine a proper sanction. Another offender was in violation for an incorrect address when the occupant of a home informed officers that the offender had not lived there for one month.
Probation Chief Marlon Washington said occasional DUI operations are important to community safety.
“With numerous accidents and fatalities related to motor vehicle accidents involving alcohol and/or impaired drivers, such operations are imperative to ensuring compliance, especially during a pandemic when assumptions are made that no one is watching,” he said. “I also want to acknowledge staff for continuing to participate in such operations and insuring compliance checks are conducted.”
On June 4, 2019, the Probation Department was awarded a State of California Office of Traffic and Safety grant for supervision of high-risk DUI offenders. The funding empowers the Probation officers to provide quality intensive supervision rather than having many of those convicted receiving minimal contact.
The Probation Department has committed to quarterly DUI offender sweeps with the main points of unannounced probation searches, chemical testing, checks on interlock ignition devices, and encouraging treatment.