(Woodland, CA) – September 19, 2024 – Last week, the Yolo County District Attorney’s Office partnered with Mother’s Against Drunk Driving (MADD) and the Yolo County Sheriff’s Office (YCSO) to put on a Multi-Agency DUI Investigations Training. The Woodland Police Department hosted the training and there were law enforcement officers from the Woodland and West Sacramento Police Departments, Yolo County Sheriff’s Office, and Yolo County Probation in attendance.
This training was organized by Yolo County’s specialized Deputy District Attorneys who are working to stem impaired driving through prosecution, education, and community outreach. Under a grant from the Office of Traffic Safety (OTS), these prosecutors provide training to law enforcement on identifying impaired drivers, educate members of the community about impaired driving, and do community outreach to increase awareness of the dangers of impaired driving. Yolo County’s OTS program is one of the most progressive programs in the state, with a strong focus on education, prevention, and enforcement. These prosecutors teach at educational events for law enforcement and the public alike. They also take an active role in preventing driving under the influence by engaging the community through high school trials, college outreach, and other community events.
MADD speaker Rhonda Campbell kicked off the training by relating her experience as a young girl losing her sister to a drunk driver, this instilled in the participants the importance of recognizing impaired drivers on the road and being proactive in investigating and enforcing DUI cases. Yolo County District Attorney Investigator James Allen shared his years of experience of investigation techniques with the participants to help them recognize what could be crucial evidence in DUI cases. Lieutenant Sam Machado of YCSO taught the standardized field sobriety tests and seated field sobriety tests as well as basic drug impairment recognition. Finally, Yolo County Deputy District Attorneys with OTS conducted a mock trial where participants testified on direct examination and were subject to vigorous cross examination to prepare them to testify in court.
District Attorney Jeff Reisig commented, “Our grant prosecutors are committed to ensuring our law enforcement partners are equipped with further training to be proactive in enforcing DUI violations, thereby ensuring the successful prosecution of DUI offenders.”
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