228 DUI ARRESTS IN SANTA BARBARA COUNTY DURING AVOID THE 12 WINTER HOLIDAY CRACKDOWN

SANTA BARBARA COUNTY - JANUARY 4th, 2010

 Final DUI arrest figures are in for Avoid the 12’s 17-day crackdown in Santa Barbara County with 228 DUI arrests since the winter holiday blitz began Dec. 18.

“Our arrest total is a testament to the skill and determination of the officers and deputies from our one dozen participating agencies,” said Dep. Win Smith of the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office, campaign coordinator. “Last year’s campaign was five days longer and we still came in five arrests ahead of last year’s total of 223.”


Smith is also pleased with the drop in DUI-related injury crashes from 18 last year to 10 this year.

There was one DUI fatality reported by the Santa Maria area command of the California Highway Patrol, according to Sgt. Ben Ruth. No DUI deaths were recorded in last year’s winter holiday crackdown.

The crash occurred at 11:01 p.m. on New Year’s Day and killed 22-year-old Damian K. Coles of Santa Maria. Driver Cody R. Stutts was arrested for felony DUI and felony manslaughter, Ruth reported.

Increased DUI enforcement during the period included sobriety checkpoints, in-city DUI patrols, CHP freeway saturation and emphasis on DUI enforcement with officers on regular beats, Smith said. ??

The campaign is named for the dozen law enforcement agencies in the county and is funded by the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.