STOP-DWI Program

Chris Ashman, Coordinator
845-291-2603

Christina M. Hale,  Administrator
845-294-9090

While the STOP-DWI Coordinator is designated as Chris Ashman, Commissioner for the Department of Mental Health, most administrative functions of the STOP-DWI Program are provided under a contract with the Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Council of Orange County. There, the STOP-DWI Administrator oversees most day-to-day program activities. They also operate a web site with important information that can be accessed by clicking the following link: http://www.orangecountystopdwi.com/

History

The STOP-DWI Program is a statewide traffic safety effort in existence in New York since 1981. Since the inception of the Program, there have been over fifteen million dollars in fine monies returned to Orange County for innovative enforcement, rehabilitation, and prevention programming.

In Orange County there is a balanced program designed to insure that no one part of the Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) system becomes overburdened as a result of increased enforcement. To that end, monies are spent providing additional staff time in the District Attorney, Probation, and Mental Health Departments as well as providing funding for additional police road patrols and equipment dedicated to enforcing the drinking driver laws.

Program Description

Revenues from DWI fines in Orange County have matched or exceeded program expenditures since 1999.  The 2007 DWI fine revenues exceeded actual spending by approximately $40,000, thereby replacing the amount we charged to our rollover fund for the 2006 expenditures.  Therefore, we took a conservative position for 2008 and continued funding all program areas at existing 2007 levels.  In 2008 our fine revenue was once again down however it made no great impact since our spending was also down by about the same amount.  We held the line in 2009 and will also continue that practice for 2010 being cognizant of the fact that we may have to incorporate some of our rollover funds to meet budget demands.

 For the year 2010 our total budget is $867,852.  The STOP-DWI Administrator position will continue to be 50% STOP-DWI Administrator and 50% Traffic Safety Coordinator.  In addition the STOP-DWI Program Assistant position will also continue as 50% STOP-DWI Program Assistant and 50%  Traffic Safety Educator.   A new part-time STOP-DWI Educator position was also added in 2009 to once again allow for a total of one full-time equivalent STOP-DWI Educator and will continue in 2010.  The following Chart illustrates the breakdown of the DWI fines budgeted by Orange County and their distribution as proposed for the year 2010. 
 

Enforcement

 The enforcement portion of the Plan will continue to involve the funding of overtime Enforcement Patrols.  Police training activities are being coordinated through the Orange County Police Chiefs Police Academy that is funded through tuition fees and police department “donations” of instructors and other staff.  The STOP-DWI Program staff works very closely with the Police Academy Director to  insure that local police officers have access to initial and recertification training on breath testing devices; receive certification in Standardized Field Sobriety Testing and Drugs That Impair; and be able to attend the annual Mid-Hudson Region STOP-DWI Enforcement/Prosecution Conference right here in Orange County and at no cost to the police departments.  The cost of manuals, printing and supplies is shared with the Police Chiefs Association.  Breath and blood testing supplies and the incremental replacement and repair of enforcement equipment will also be funded as enforcement activities.  During the past several years some of our oldest Datamasters have been replaced with the new Datamaster DMT, through a 3-year grant program with DCJS.  Our staff continues to support the Datamaster equipment with consultation as necessary.  In addition, the speed trailer sharing program is still going strong and many departments have now purchased their own speed trailers, based on the positive experience they had using ours in their communities. 

 As has been reported previously, in 1994 we began issuing contracts with Police agencies based on their success in mounting effective patrols during the prior enforcement period. Our STOP-DWI Committee made up of representatives from the Orange County Police Chief’s Association and the STOP-DWI Program’s administration evaluates the prior year’s data and creates three levels of contracts for the current year.  The result has been a marked improvement in all measures of effectiveness including the average cost per DWI arrest to the STOP-DWI Program with at least 26 municipal police departments participating in each contract period.

 In 2010 Orange County’s STOP-DWI Program will once again host a Regional Enforcement/Prosecution Conference for all police agencies in the region as well as prosecutors from the various District Attorney’s Offices and Probation Officers from the region.  We began offering this conference in Orange County in 2004 and have had an overwhelmingly positive response with an average attendance of over 400 participants.  2009 was no exception with 430 persons attending from Dutchess, Greene, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Sullivan, Ulster and Westchester counties.

Court Related

 The District Attorney’s office has been funded for additional staffing for DWI prosecution since the beginning of the STOP-DWI Program in Orange County.  There has been no decline in the effectiveness of that office over the years, and the program component will continue for 2010 at the current funding level.

 The DA’s office has committed itself to prosecuting the new ADWI laws and requesting higher than minimum fines at sentencing for convicted drinking drivers as a way to help increase the fine revenues returning to the county.  This practice had undoubtedly helped increase the return of fine revenue in recent years however the recent increase in surcharges and DMV civil penalties has had an impact on fine collection throughout the county.  The new STOP-DWI Educator has begun to meet with Court Clerks throughout the county to review their records and determine if our office can assist with outstanding fine collection.  

 The STOP-DWI Program is now also providing training to new ADA’s on a regular basis.  The STOP-DWI program Assistant and Educator act as resources to the DA’s Office particularly for DWI trials.

Probation

 There are over 1000 DWI offenders that are sentenced to Probation each year in Orange County.  The Probation Department has become very active in recommending and monitoring Ignition Interlock Devices for DWI offenders.  In fact the department is now also employing the use of interlock devices with real time reporting and with an agreement with our new 911 Center is able to track offenders who violate as the incident occurs.  In an effort to handle these cases the Probation Department has a specialized DWI Unit.  Although STOP-DWI can no longer afford to pay for the full cost of that unit, support will continue in 2010 at the current funding level.  STOP-DWI also continues to offer training for Probation Officers and invites the Department to attend the annual Enforcement/Prosecution Conference.  As a way to help fill their budget gap, the Probation Department has implemented a client fee system for their DWI clients.

Rehabilitation

One of the historically unmet needs within the county has been the provision of treatment services to those persons convicted of DWI and sentenced to time at the Orange County Jail.  Weekend sentences for repeat DWI offenders are very popular with most local courts, causing the Jail census to increase dramatically each weekend.  Over the past five years the Orange County Department has been providing weekend programming for those inmates in order to address their alcohol and drug usage.

During 2010 the monetary support for these special intervention services will see an increase.  These services will include information and education as well as counseling and discharge planning for this extremely high-risk population. 

The STOP-DWI Program has also expanded the Victim Impact Panels presentations to include a Spanish Victim Impact panel, with the assistance of Orange County Probation Department and an Organ Donor Presentation at the adult VIP with the assistance of the New York Organ Donor Network.

Public Information/Education

The STOP-DWI Program added a part-time DWI Educator in 2009 to replace the hours lost when the work week of the DWI Program Assistant was split 50/50 between STOP-DWI and Traffic Safety.  This brings us back to 1.5 FTE’s staff devoting time to the STOP-DWI program and more importantly to the Prevention Education components of the program without materially changing the total dollars budgeted.
 
The Catholic Charities Alternatives staff provides prevention programs at the elementary school level.  Over 2,000 students are reached each year through these programs.  This year funding will continue through June 2010.

 Since 1996 additional funding has been added to this category to increase and improve the STOP-DWI Program’s message in the community.  Prevention activities  take place through the office of the STOP-DWI Program Administrator, DWI Program Assistant and DWI Educator. Those activities include:

• TEEN Driving Panels exhibit, “One Second, Everything Changes”.
• “Not One More” teen driving program co-sponsored through a committee at BOCES and the Times Herald Record.
• Driving Simulators Program, including the DWI Curriculum co-sponsored with Orange County Traffic Safety Program.
• Dissemination of literature at sponsored events such as “Red Ribbon Week”, Health Fairs, Poster contests and Save Your Friend Over the Airwaves contest.
• Development of media campaigns throughout the year with the local print and electronic media.
• Co-sponsorship of STOP-DWI Night with the Hudson Valley Renegades.
• Participation in “Night Out on Crime” events.
• Co-sponsoring “New Driver Safety Information Packet” and Teen Driver Safety Week with Orange County Traffic Safety Program.
• Participation in local Law Enforcement Academies that are sponsored by area High Schools
• Participation in Freshman Orientation programs.
• Funding of $500 mini-grants for each school district that hosts an alcohol-free all-night graduation party.
• “Fatal Vision Goggles” demonstrations and educational seminars for school and community groups.
• Distribution and support for the CRASH curriculum that is being provided to Orange County High Schools through Allstate Insurance.

  
Administration

 The coordination of the program is being repositioned under the Department of Emergency Services.  During 1997 the STOP-DWI Program added a part-time educator to help re-build that function of the program so negatively affected by budget cuts several years earlier.  This position was expanded to full-time in 2008 and the job duties are now fulfilled by two part-time positions: STOP-DWI Program Assistant and STOP-DWI Educator.   The program includes support of the Law Enforcement Training Program for area High Schools, the Not One More program, the TEEN Driving Panels exhibit, the Victim Impact Panel (VIP), TEEN VIP, Spanish VIP, media campaigns, professional training and in developing community awareness programs and educational programs for local school districts.  These activities will be continued in 2010.

 The Administration component of the Program (shared by the Coordinator and the Administrator) is responsible for:

• the dissemination of all public information about the STOP-DWI Program
• the development and monitoring of all enforcement period contracts
• the co-sponsorship of an annual regional Enforcement Conference for Police and Prosecution staff
• the operation of monthly Victim Impact Panel (VIP) presentations to convicted DWI offenders
• the operation of a Spanish speaking VIP held quarterly
• the operation of special quarterly VIP presentations for underage drinkers
• the ordering of all supplies for all program components, especially Enforcement patrols
• the monitoring of DWI fine collection
• the operation of support services for the victims of DWI crashes in the county
• the development of the Annual STOP-DWI Plan and budget as well as its presentation to the County’s Executive and Legislature.
• the development and execution of a county-wide advertising campaign.
• the coordination of all program activities with the Orange County Traffic Safety Program.

Significant Events and Accomplishments During 2009

A highly successful conference was sponsored by the STOP-DWI Program in 2009. Over 450 police officers, probation officers, counselors and prosecutors from the Mid-Hudson Region came together for the annual Regional STOP-DWI Coordinators Enforcement/Prosecution Conference in April to make this conference the largest law enforcement conference in New York State.

Law enforcement training was coordinated with the OC Police Chiefs Training Committee and included Standardized Field Sobriety Testing for new recruit classes totaling 37 officers.  In addition, Breath Analysis Operator/Datamaster program was offered to new recruits and in-service officers totaling 101 individuals, recertification training was attended by over 50 officers and 55 officers received DMT Upgrade training.
The STOP-DWI school educational program continued to expand in 2009 with fatal vision goggles demonstrations being presented to over 4500 students in seven area school districts, colleges and Summer Law Enforcement Academies.

The TEEN Driving Panels project has been so successful that we purchased another set of panels so that we could accommodate more school districts and community events.  This museum quality exhibit was proudly displayed in area high schools and in conjunction with the Traffic Safety “Not One More” program was provided to Chester, Cornwall, Goshen, Pine Bush, Washingtonville schools and Orange-Ulster BOCES and was visited by over 6000 students, teachers and parents.

During July another very successful STOP-DWI Night was held in conjunction with the Hudson Valley Renegades.  DWI prevention messages were played on the video board throughout the evening and Fatal Vision Goggles demonstrations were done by the main gates throughout the night. In August we participated in Night Out on Crime in Newburgh, Middletown, Walden and Port Jervis providing information and giveaway items to county residents.

The Enforcement objectives of the STOP-DWI Program were accomplished by completing three enforcement contracts throughout the calendar year with 27 local police departments for the provision of overtime police patrols to detect impaired drivers.  These patrols resulted in hundreds of additional drinking driver arrests.  In addition, the STOP-DWI speed trailer was shared by 11 towns and villages from March through December 2009, each getting three weeks of usage.

During 2008 the District Attorney’s office prosecuted 1501 DWI cases in local and county courts.  Local court information for 2009 shows 1196 arrests for the first three quarters. The DA’s office also reports that felony filings have remained consistent at 158 cases annually and now include Aggravated DWI.

Supervision activities at the Probation Department continued throughout the year with an average per quarter of 520 persons being supervised by the specialized STOP-DWI Unit for DWI convictions.  Probation Officers provided 29525 DWI-related supervision contacts to both clients and collateral contacts during 2009.  This represents a 15% increase over 2008.

The STOP-DWI Program subsidizes the Forensic Clinic offering specialized intervention services to high-risk offenders at the Orange County Jail.  The services included those provided to DWI offenders sentenced for weekends at the facility.  During the year an average of 150 DWI-sentenced inmates per quarter received approximately 380 counseling visits per quarter from this program initiative.

The Alternatives program of Pius XII Youth and Family Services provided educational and prevention services to over 2900 students in 450 classroom sessions in the Pine Bush School District during the year.

The Victim Impact Panel (VIP) made 12 presentations to 789 convicted DWI offenders during the year.  This year with the assistance of the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, Probation Department, and the City of Middletown Police Department, the program also established a Spanish VIP and provided the program to 55 individuals which is a 100% increase over 2008.  In addition, the Teen Victim Impact Panel made 4 presentations to 187 youth who were referred based on alcohol/drug related offenses.  This program has become a useful educational alternative for the court system for persons under the age of 21 who are afforded the privilege of an adjournment contemplating dismissal if they successfully complete the program.

Goals for 2010

Goal I:  Increase awareness of the dangers of drinking and driving through active public education, prevention education and media campaigns.  Coordinate activities with the OC Traffic Safety Program and Orange County Department of Motor Vehicles including the New Driver Packet for parents of teens and the Teen Driver Safety Week events with local school districts.

Goal II:  Implement the Teen Driving Panels project throughout the county focusing on High School presentations.  Coordinate with Orange-Ulster BOCES and Orange County Traffic Safety Program.

Goal III:  Provide continued training and information to the courts and the DA’s office to insure the smooth processing and swift prosecution of drinking drivers through the criminal justice system.

Goal IV:  Support a specialized intervention service for those persons incarcerated in the Orange County Jail for drinking and driving.

Goal V:  Improve and support the drinking driver enforcement efforts in the county by providing funding for overtime patrols, an annual Enforcement/Prosecution Conference and specialized equipment and training for law enforcement personnel.

Goal VI:  Integrate the specialized DWI training and certification programs with the
Orange County Police Academy, operated by the OC Police Chiefs Association.

Goal VII:  Implement the monthly adult VIP, quarterly TEEN Victim Impact Panel and the Spanish speaking panel for DWI offenders.

Goal VIII:  Provide written materials in Spanish to community and school groups regarding DWI laws and other pertinent information.