Los Angeles County District Attorney (LADA) George Gascón announced Friday that the DA’s Office had been awarded a $1.5 million grant to support the prosecution of cases involving impaired driving.

The California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) — through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration — has awarded a $1.5 million grant to the District Attorney’s Office for DUI training and prosecution, officials announced Friday.

“This grant will further our goals of preventing impaired driving and reducing alcohol and drug-related fatalities and injuries,” District Attorney Gascón said.

The funding will allow the DUI Training and Prosecution Section (DTAPS) to continue to improve training tools and resources to work with law enforcement and increase the number of officers who are certified as drug recognition experts (DREs) in Los Angeles County.

DREs can articulate the effects of impairment caused by various drugs, and their testimony in DUI cases helps in the effort to deter drug-impaired driving, according to LADA officials.

Since its inception in 2016, DTAPS has taken a leadership role in training local law enforcement personnel and deputy district attorneys in the investigation and prosecution of cases involving alcohol and drug-related driving under the influence cases.

As part of this grant, OTS has agreed to partially fund a DRE through the District Attorney’s Bureau of Investigation. While working in DTAPS, the DRE will be made available to all deputy district attorneys for DUI-related issues.

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