PSPD partners with MADD for first time

The Palm Springs Police Department has joined forces with Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) for the first ever partnership. According to authorities, the joint collaboration was formed to bring greater education and awareness of the dangers of impaired driving to the residents, visitors and business owners of Palm Springs.

“The city of Palm Springs has a lot of alcohol establishments. It’s a tourist destination. The demographic here, every 72 hours, changes. We’ve got to find a way to get our message out,” Sgt. William Hutchinson with the Palm Springs Police Department said.

The collaboration stems from a local Mother’s Against Drunk Driving member who hoped to use Palm Springs police facilities for DUI educational purposes.

PSPD and MADD will host at least three different programs, including; Victim Impact panels, to help DUI offenders understand the severity of their actions. As well as the Power of Youth and Parents program aimed to educate and prevent.

“Last year we had about 270 arrests for DUI. We had 90 collisions that were a result of impaired driving and two fatalities. When we have lives that are being altered, from the driver, to people injured, we’ve got to be able to curb this. We have to reduce those numbers drastically,” Hutchinson said.

Jeff Davied, operations director for The Awareness Group, which is a local DUI school, says DUI prevention is a community effort…

“Everyone has to work together. We’re getting enrollments every week. Some are first, some are multiple offenders. It’s just important that the entire community works towards public safety, and our class is just part of that. So it’s important that other agencies are getting the prevention side of that,” Davied said.

Programs and workshops are available now at the Palm Springs Police Department. Call and sign up here.

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