Despite losing 42 sworn police officers this week due to budget cuts, the Sacramento Police Department was able to keep one officer whose job is enforcing liquor license regulations and making sure licensees know the rules and follow them. A $75,000 grant was awarded to the city of Sacramento from the state Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC), allowing the city to fill the second of only two ABC liaison officer positions in the Police Department. ABC liaison officers play a vital role in keeping bars and restaurants in compliance with liquor laws, said Lt. Gina Haynes of the Sacramento Police Department’s Metro Division. According to city staff, Sacramento has more than 1,000

Sacramento, CA | A drunk driver with passengers collides head-on with a Taxi minivan leaving several injured in Midtown early Thursday morning. At approximately 1:47 am Thursday morning, a black compact car collided head on with a taxi cab minivan at 20th and N Streets in Midtown. Occupants in both vehicles were injured and transported to area hospitals with non threatening injuries, per Sacramento Police department.   more from this incident and about Midtown DUI checkpoint >>

Jacob Owens didn't get a second chance. After a night of drinking, he got into the driver's seat of a car and crashed into a tree. Despite the best efforts of the members of the Mercy San Juan Medical Center trauma unit, he did not survive. He was 21 years old. Many drunken drivers get a second, third, and even hundredth chance — which increases the likelihood that they will cause a fatality. "There is research that says for every time someone is arrested for drunk driving, they had actually driven drunk 200 times before that," Dr. Leon Owens said. Determined to change these lethal odds, Owens dove headfirst into research. He is the director of the Mercy San Juan Medical Center Trauma P

Hello Officer Michelle, My concern is about a neighbor across the street. I frequently see him outside on his driveway, drinking beer and playing loud music with friends. I’m not shy to ask them to lower the volume and most times they comply. The issue I want to address is that they drive to the liquor store to get more alcohol when I know fully well that they have exceeded the legal alcohol limit based on the number of empty cans that strewn the driveway. Is this something I should report to the police? If so, how would I go about reporting a drunk driver if I do not know their location after they drive away from their home and when they return in only 15 minutes?   Dear Cogsboy, Cur

I spent the night of Friday the 13th in a cop car. I was the passenger for a ride along with Sergeant Dave Hargadon, head of the DUI Team for the Sacramento Police Department. We spent the evening searching for drunken drivers, patrolling the streets of Downtown and Midtown Sacramento. The Sacramento County Main Jail was filled with impaired drivers at 2:30 a.m. as we brought in one from our own car. As I entered, I surveyed the room and realized why all of the anti-drunken driving campaigns are directed at my age group: They were almost all in their 20s and 30s. It was entertaining and eye-opening to see how people react differently to an arrest, depending on their temperament, level o

Sacramento Kings forward Andreas Nocioni has been released from the Sacramento County Jail after being arrested on DUI charges early Thursday morning. Nocioni's vehicle was pulled over by Sacramento Police around 2:00am Thursday near the section of 9th and L Streets in Sacramento. Officers say they detected a strong odor of alcohol in Nocioni's vehicle and ask him to take a breathalyzer test. It's unclear what Nocioni's blood alcohol level was. Nocioni was seen leaving the Sacramento County Jail after posting bail shortly after 9:00am. Despite persistent questions from the media, Nocioni declined to comment. The Sacramento Kings have not yet commented on the situation. On the other han

The California Office of Traffic Safety [OTS] releases a yearly ranking of 13 cities of similar size (population over 250,000) for collisions by daily vehicle miles traveled and average population. The 13 cities are Sacramento, Los Angeles, San Diego, San Jose, San Francisco, Long Beach, Fresno, Oakland, Santa Ana, Anaheim, Bakersfield, Riverside and Stockton. The numbers for 2008 are not yet available, but for 2007, Sacramento ranked No. 1 in many categories. For collisions with alcohol involved, Sacramento ranked first with 478 victims killed and injured. For collisions where the driver had been drinking (HBD) both under age 21 and ages 21 to 34, Sacramento came in first with a combi

MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) is preparing rain or shine to host its annual marquee community event and fundraiser “Walk like MADD” on Saturday October 17th at Southside Park in Sacramento. The registration is free and all are invited to come out and participate in this annual pledge walk that raises money to fund many programs and services that MADD provides to the families and communities of which it serves. MADD California is located at 4529 Whitney Ave. Suite 7 in Sacramento. For more information about MADD or how you can help visit the MADD website at www.madd.org or contact (916) 481-MADD.  

Taking a look inside MADD’s (Mothers Against Drunk Drivers) new office one will easily realize the outstanding work of one of most recognized community organizations. On Tuesday June 30th, MADD California hosted its official open house event for the community as the state’s main chapter showed off its new dig’s. Representatives from various community organizations, groups, law enforcement agencies, and victims of drunk drivers all were treated to the viewing of informational displays, a pictorial of those deceased as a result of drunk drivers, a drunk driver video, and some sharing thoughts about how our community can prevent drunk driving. Matthias Mendezona, State Executive Director for

Smoke, flying debris and a rolled over vehicle is what Jerry Cook saw in front of him as he traveled south on Business 80. Four occupants are very fortunate to be alive today. At approximately 10:30 p.m. Saturday night, their Buick Lacrosse slammed into the barriers at the interchange of West Business 80 and Highway 160. The vehicle smashed through all the sand filled barriers then flip over coming to rest on it's roof. Jerry Cook was driving down 80 when all he saw in front of him was a cloud of smoke, flying debris and other cars dodging around the debris as the Buick came to rest. "No one was doing anything to help when myself and a lady officer helped two people get out of the car an