Municipality Receives National Highway Transportation Safety Administration Grant to Support an Anchorage Police Department DUI Unit

Mayor's Corner

7/25/2016

ANCHORAGE – Today, Mayor Ethan Berkowitz announced the Anchorage Police Department received a $2 million grant to fully staff a DUI unit comprised of six patrol officers, one sergeant, and a clerk.

"I want to thank the State and NHTSA for partnering to combat impaired driving,” said Mayor Berkowitz. “Families are broken and lives ruined when people choose to drive drunk, it is an all too familiar story in Alaska. Having a dedicated DUI unit makes Anchorage streets safer."

The grant comes from the Department of Transportation and Public Facilities’ State Highway Safety Office in partnership with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The new unit will be staffed for 5 years, with a sliding cost share mechanism.

Over the last five years Alaska has averaged 23 alcohol related motor vehicle fatalities each year. The primary goals of this partnership between DOT&PF and APD will be DUI detection, enforcement and public education.

"A dedicated DUI enforcement unit within APD will contribute to our Strategic Highway Safety Plan goal to move "Toward Zero Deaths". I am excited about this new partnership and anticipate great results from this new APD DUI unit," said DOT&PF Commissioner Marc Luiken.

The APD traffic unit was reduced in 2012 from 16 to 8 enforcement officers. In 2012, Anchorage had 4 DUI related traffic fatalities. 2014 saw 11 DUI related fatalities and in 2015 there were 9 DUI related fatalities.

"We are grateful for this unit and to focus on impaired driving with added enforcement," said Chief Tolley. "Losing a loved one to impaired driving is devastating as these incidents are 100 percent preventable."

After approval from the Assembly, the grant will be effective August 1.

For more information, contact Myer Hutchinson at (907) 343-7133.

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