State traffic-safety grant to fund DUI and enforcement activity shared with Colfax and Loomis

The Placer County Sheriff's Office reported on Dec. 10 it obtained an Office of Traffic Safety grant — funded through the California Office of Traffic Safety with federal funds from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration — totaling $86,000 to support traffic safety efforts for Colfax and the township of Loomis.

Deputy Brad Boyer explained the grant covers several categories: DUI saturation patrols, warrant operations tied to DUI court compliance, and operations focused on primary collision factors such as speeding and distracted driving. "So in our grant, we received a total of $86,000, like Sergeant Williams said, to be shared by both the city of Colfax and the township of Loomis," Boyer said, noting how the funds will be used to target specific needs as they arise (SEG 477–481, SEG 488–497).

Sergeant Toby Williams said the sheriff's office will coordinate staffing and prioritize deployments based on real-time needs and community requests; the split of the funds will be determined based on "the needs that are occurring at the time" (SEG 481–483). Councilmembers thanked the sheriff's office and asked questions about allowable uses; Boyer clarified funds are restricted to categories identified by the state, such as enforcement, education programs and community outreach (SEG 523–528). The sheriff's office plans to reapply in the next grant cycle.

What this means: the award provides extra enforcement capacity for seasonal traffic and DUI enforcement and may fund community outreach and education programs tied to traffic safety. Details about the eventual division of dollars between Colfax and Loomis will be determined administratively based on requests and operational needs.