The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office has been awarded a $1.3 million  grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety for training local law enforcement personnel and deputy district attorneys to investigate and prosecute cases involving alcohol and drug-related traffic offenses.

The office’s DUI Training and Prosecution Section was implemented to further Los Angeles County District Attorney Jackie Lacey’s goals of preventing impaired driving and reducing alcohol and drug-related fatalities and injuries. The grant comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration through the state OTS.

In Los Angeles County, the number of misdemeanor driving under the influence of drugs cases dramatically increased between 2017 and 2019 (285 cases in 2017, 1,018 cases in 2018 and 1,009 cases as of Sept. 30).

The escalation in DUI drug cases appears to be consistent with the findings of a 2017 study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, which determined there was an increase in other states where recreational marijuana has been legalized. Education and enforcement will help counteract the rise in impaired driving, Lacey said.

The grant funding will continue to improve the training and resources used to work with police agencies and increase the number of officers who are certified drug recognition experts in Los Angeles County.