By Jesse Jones
At its Feb. 26 meeting, the Sandoval County Commission approved two resolutions to apply for state funding for the Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) Prevention and Intervention Program. The grants, totaling $528,000, will fund prevention, treatment and detox services to combat DWI and alcohol abuse, reduce alcohol-related offenses and expand education and treatment efforts.
The commission approved two resolutions to secure state funding for the DWI prevention and treatment program. The first seeks a $150,000 grant, the maximum available, from the Department of Finance and Administration’s Local Government Division to support detox treatment for DWI offenders. Sandoval County is among seven eligible counties, including Bernalillo, Rio Arriba, Santa Fe, San Juan and Socorro.
The second resolution requests funding from the Local DWI grant and distribution program to support efforts to reduce DWI, alcoholism and alcohol abuse through outreach, treatment and education.
“These funds do pay for a good 90% of our department,” said Jayme Espinoza, Sandoval County’s Community Services director.
According to Espinoza, Sandoval County is seeing a rise in DWI cases. From July 22, 2023, to July 22, 2024, there were 726 cases. From July to Feb. 26 of the current fiscal year, the county has already reported 733 cases.
Espinoza did not have data on where most DWI cases occurred this year but said that in past years, most were reported on Interstate 25 and U.S. 550 between Bernalillo and Jemez.
She said the prevention and treatment program, which serves only first-time DWI offenders, added 393 new clients and discharged 430.
The second resolution for the Local DWI program includes two funding sources: treatment grants and operations distribution funds.
According to Espinoza, the county is requesting $528,000 to fund counselors, operations and treatment for DWI offenders, with additional support for domestic violence offenders enrolled in the LDWI program.
She also said they are seeking $651,000 in distribution funds to cover program operations, including court compliance, testing, security and group sessions. The funding will support four court compliance officers, urinalysis testing, group therapy and security guard wages.
LDWI is funded by the New Mexico Department of Finance and Administration, which funds local governments through grants and distributions that support community efforts to prevent DWI and related issues like alcoholism.
The best way to control DWI is to enforce the law. We already have that don’t we?