CALIFORNIA
Operation S.M.A.S.H.

PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION
The City of Lompoc is located on California's Central Coast. Two state highways bisect the city, and serve as the primary location for commerce. Moreover, the two highways provide for significant tourist traffic and accommodate traffic for nearby Vandenberg Air Force Base. Although an increase in traffic volume has resulted in an accompanying increase in motorists driving under the influence of alcohol, the Lompoc Police Department's resources for adequate enforcement of impaired driving laws have decreased during recent years.

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
In 1998, the Lompoc Police Department embarked on an ambitious program to address the city's impaired driving problems. Operation S.M.A.S.H.—Sober Motorists and Safe Highways, was developed to help reduce alcohol-related traffic crashes, fatalities, and injuries. This goal was to be accomplished through the following objectives:

• To develop a multi-faceted program that addresses the problem of driving under the influence of alcohol (DUI)
• To build community partnerships to support and promote the new effort
• To increase community awareness of local DUI problems
• To acquire necessary equipment to support the program
• To develop multimedia educational materials

STRATEGIES AND ACTIVITIES
The Lompoc Police Department's strategy for meeting their goals consisted of developing a comprehensive, multi-faceted DUI program that encompassed a variety of aggressive activities including the following:

• Through a California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) grant, the Lompoc Police Department purchased a DUI trailer and two Preliminary Alcohol Screening (PAS) devices
• More than 4,500 promotional items and educational materials were developed, produced and distributed
• Members from Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) and police department volunteers formed a partnership to promote DUI awareness and to participate in a series of 12 sobriety checkpoints
• Enforcement was increased by an additional 192 hours of DUI patrols, and 56 DUI training sessions were provided to officers at roll call briefings. In addition, the police department implemented a state-approved drug abuse recognition course for officers
• Officers assigned to teach Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) included DUI prevention information in their presentations to 5^th, 7^th, and 9^th grade students. Officers also introduced 689 additional assemblies and anti-drug and alcohol use activities into their schedules, reaching 5,447 students. In addition, police officers conducted a series of "sting" operations to block alcohol sales to underage drivers. During the "sting" operations, seven business and their employees were sanctioned
• The police department produced four one-hour traffic safety/DUI special programs which were aired on public access television. Other local news agencies promoted the new DUI effort, working with Lompoc police to present DUI education at civic functions and community group meetings

RESULTS
The S.M.A.S.H. program produced an 80 percent increase in DUI arrests during 1999. In addition, as a result of the 12 sobriety checkpoint operations, 26 DUI arrests were made, 81 vehicles were impounded, 29 suspended license arrests were made, 51 unlicensed drivers were cited and 15 arrests were made for other offenses.

SPRING 2000