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CPG-2022-C itybfM iam-00229
Applicant Information
Applicant Agency:
Implementing Agency:
Concept Paper Title:
STATE OF FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
HIGHWAY SAFETY CONCEPT PAPER
Concept Paper Summary
Priority Area for Concept Paper:
Amount Requested:
Type of Project:
Type of Request:
Previous Year's Project Number (if Continuation):
Head of Agency
500-065-17
SAFETY
05/18
City of Miami
City of Miami Police Department
FY 2022 Miami DUI Checkpoint and Saturation Patrol
Overtime Project
Impaired Driving
$90,000.00
Local
Initial
Name:
Jorge R. Colina
State:
Florida
Title:
Chief of Police
Zip:
33130
Address 1:
400 NW 2nd Ave.
Phone:
(305) 603-6100
Address 2:
4th Floor
Extension:
City:
Miami
Email:
1126@miami-police.org
Project Contact
Name:
Eric Gonzalez
State:
Florida
Title:
Major (Special Operations Division)
Zip:
33130
Address 1:
400 NW 2nd Ave.
Phone:
(305) 603-6508
Address 2:
Extension:
City:
Miami
Email:
2368@miami-police.org
Statement of the Problem:
The Miami Police Department ("MPD") and the City of Miami ("City") continue to grapple with high incidents of
Driving Under the Influence (DUI) violations despite comprehensive efforts to mitigate these incidents. Many of
these DUI violators, also known as "impaired drivers" are well aware of the law, but choose to violate it at the
expense of the public's safety.
The COVID-19 pandemic has also intensified bad driving behaviors including driving under the influence.
There have been fewer Floridians on the roads in the last 11 months, yet the number of fatal crashes has
increased, as the pandemic seems to have brought out the worst instincts in drivers. According to the Florida
Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, total crashes on Florida roadways dropped by 401,516
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C PG-2022-C ityofM is m-00229
STATE OF FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
HIGHWAY SAFETY CONCEPT PAPER
Concept Paper Summary
crashes between 2019 and 2020. However, fatalities from accidents grew year -over -year from 2019 to 2020.
Preliminary state data shows 3,286 people died in car crashes in 2020, up from 3,191 a year prior. Data also
shows the number of car crashes rose between 2019 (2,955 fatal crashes) and 2020 (3,050 fatal crashes).
A National Highway Traffic Safety Administration study conducted at five hospital trauma centers between
March and July 2020 found that nearly 65 percent of seriously or fatally injured road users tested positive for at
least one active drug, including alcohol, cannabis or opioids. The number marked a dramatic increase from the
previous six months when the number of drivers testing positive was just under 51 percent (1).
While visits to restaurants and bars have dropped off, store sales for alcohol have gone up dramatically as
people have been trying to find ways to cope with stress and anxiety at home. A new study shows that American
adults, particularly women, are drinking more amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Alcohol consumption has
increased by 14% compared with a year ago, including 17% for women, according to a report published in the
JAMA Network Open (2). Also, the general public understands that municipal services and resources, including
police departments are stretched as local governments grapple with the pandemic economy. Because of the
preception that this has led to less law enforcement on the streets, drivers feel more emboldened to break the
law.
Furthermore, there is a greater propensity in Florida for residents to drive under the influence. Statistics
compiled by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration indicate that in Florida, each year, there are
839 fatalities in accidents caused by drivers driving under the influence of alcohol (3). Even more worrying is
that while 1.9% of people across the US report driving after drinking, the figure stands at 2.1 % in Florida (4).
With a U.S. Census estimated 2019 population of 467,963, Miami is the largest municipality in Miami -Dade
County and the second-largest city in the State of Florida. Miami's reputation as a major urban center, and a
leader in finance, commerce, culture, media, entertainment, the arts, and international trade has resulted in
booming urban growth. As the country gradually returns to a place of normalcy over the coming months, it is
expected that Miami's resident and visitor populations will be in an upswing . Miami Mayor Francis Suarez's
efforts to make Miami into a leading tech hub, will also accelerate Miami's positive population growth, as more
tech buisnesses are viewing Miami as the next Silicon Valley and more people are able to work remotley (5).
The City of Miami lies within the top 25% of cities in the FDOT FY2022 Highway Safety Matrix — Ranking of
Florida Cities. In particular, it is #6 in "Impaired Driving" categories. As one of the most affected cities in
Florida for impaired driving, it is imperative that the City has the resources to ramp up efforts to decrease DUI
incidents through enforcement of DUI traffic laws and public education.
The City of Miami is committed to reducing alcohol and drug related crashes and fatalities . Along with the
human suffering caused from injuries, disabilities and fatalities, there are also substantial economic
ramifications. Traffic crashes often result in large medical expenses, Toss of wages, as well as property
damage not only for the individuals involved, but also for the City and its residents as this can potentially
represent millions of dollars in economic losses. Therefore, the Miami Police Department seeks to address the
"Impaired Driving" emphasis area of the Strategic Highway Safety Plan (SHSP). MPD is in critical need of
Florida Department of Transportation ("FDOT") funds to implement the "FY 2022 Miami DUI Checkpoint and
Saturation Patrol Overtime Project." This project will increase DUI enforcement efforts and provide public
education to motorists in an effort to remove DUI violators from our roadways.
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SAFETY
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C P G-2022-C ityofM is m-00229
STATE OF FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
HIGHWAY SAFETY CONCEPT PAPER
Concept Paper Summary
Sources:
(1)
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/pandemic-revs-up-bad-driver-behavior-traffic-fatalities-in-fl/ar-BB1 dHtt8
(2)
https://www. usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2020/10/05/us-alcohol-consumption-up-covid-19-jama-study/3633
486001/
(3) https://southfloridareporter.com/sobering-data-about-alcohol-and-accidents-in-florida/
(4) https://www.cdc.gov/motorvehiclesafety/pdf/impaired_driving/Drunk_ Driving_ in_ FL.pdf
(5)
https://www.forbes.com/sites/jackkelly/2021 /01 /26/forget-about-san-francisco-and-silicon-valley-miami-is-plann
ing-on-being-the-next-g reat-tech-hub/?sh=59fd4157466e
Supporting Data:
DUI fatality levels remained steady in 2020, with an incremental increase since 2018. However, the pandemic
largely reduced the number of motorists on the road in 2020 and caused drastic changes in City of Miami
operations and conditions, which led to an outlier reduction in citations, crashes and injuries last year
compared to 2018 and 2019.
The City of Miami consistently led the State of Florida in coronavirus cases and was one of the most affected
cities in the country for most of 2020. At one point last summer, the situation had become so dire, experts
deemed Miami the epicenter of the global pandemic. The City of Miami leadership responded swiftly and
decisively in order to bring down coronavirus cases, which were overwhelming local hospitals. More residents
working from home, virtual schooling, City -mandated curfews, and lockdowns of businesses, including
restaurants, bars, hotels, theaters, gyms, and event facilities —led to a significant drop in people out in public
and on the road. PortMiami, the largest passenger port in the world suspended all cruise activity since March
2020 and only allows for cargo business. Traveling restrictions also drastically reduced the number of motorists
on the streets of our tourism -driven City. Consequentially, less officers were assigned to work traffic
enforcement in light of traffic volume reductions. The court system was shut down for the better part of the year,
which halted the number of arrests that could be made. Now that the courts are back in operation in a virtual
capacity, an increase in traffic -related arrests are anticipated.
The pandemic also shifted the priorities of the City and MPD. For the first quarter of the year, officers were
assigned to facilitate Food Drives across Miami's districts to meet the needs of residents economically
disadvantaged by the pandemic. Sworn -officer personnel resources were also reallocated to focus on
enforcement of COVID-19 regulations. As a public health crisis, the coronavirus also adversely affected staffing
levels. At one point last year, the entire Traffic Enforcement Unit was quarantined and out of commission . Out of
all municipal departments, MPD suffered the highest number of coronavirus cases, causing staffing shortfalls
throughout the year.
In the first few months of 2021, we are now seeing a return to normalcy as a vaccine is becoming more readily
available to the public, State and city-wide coronavirus cases are dropping and thus a majority of restrictions
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SAFETY
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CPG-2022-C ity ofM iam-00229
STATE OF FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
HIGHWAY SAFETY CONCEPT PAPER
Concept Paper Summary
have been lifted. While City leadership still continues implementing policies and safeguards against the
coronavirus, the City is now open for business. We are seeing an uptick of public life, including more drivers on
the road. As a better normal sets in, MPD is anticipating the need to focus on traffic enforcement for
2021-2022. Police must be prepared to keep the roadways safe as Miami goes back to pre -pandemic levels.
With the assistance of FDOT funding, MPD will keep a sustained focus on impaired driving that is working
towards making the City of Miami a safe city for residents and visitors.
Year Number of DUI Related Crashes
2020 66
2019 118
2018 142
Year Number of DUI Related Fatalities
2020 3
2019 3
2018 2
Year Number of DUI Related Injuries
2020 1
2019 4
2018 6
Year Number of DUI Related Citations
2020 178
2019 330
2018 422
Proposed Solution:
Miami Police Department (MPD) will implement the deterrence countermeasure of "Enforcement" and use
publicized sobriety checkpoints and high visibility saturation patrols denoted in Chapter 1, Section
2:"Deterrence: Enforcement," found in the "Countermeasures That Work" guide. Research has shown these
countermeasures are successful in reducing impaired driving.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, motor vehicle crashes that involve an
alcohol -impaired driver kill 28 people in the United States every day, which amount to one death every 53
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SAFETY
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C PG-2022-C ityofM iam-00229
STATE OF FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
HIGHWAY SAFETY CONCEPT PAPER
Concept Paper Summary
minutes. The annual cost of alcohol -related crashes totals more than $44 billion. There is strong evidence
supporting the effectiveness of sobriety checkpoints as a public health intervention to reduce the harms
associated with impaired driving. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, these
checkpoints reduce alcohol -related motor vehicle crashes by 9% (6).
Publicized sobriety checkpoint programs are a form of high visibility enforcement where law enforcement
officers stop drivers systematically to assess whether they are alcohol -impaired. Media efforts are critical to
publicize programs. The project goal for sobriety is to reduce alcohol -impaired driving by increasing the
public's perceived risk of arrest while also arresting alcohol -impaired drivers identified at checkpoints (7).
Saturation patrols are when a larger -than -usual number of officers are sent to patrol an area. These targeted
areas tend to usually be busy roads or intersections. Patrols also target these corridors during specific times
and weekends. The goal of these patrols is to detect and arrest impaired drivers. Generally, officers will look for
any obvious driving behavior changes and violations associated with a DUI. For example, they may look for
drivers who are speeding, swerving between lanes, or following other drivers too closely (8). The added benefit
of saturation patrols is that these patrols are harder to avoid than sobriety checkpoints since drivers are aware
of common checkpoint locations, whereas the locations of patrols change and are harder to avoid. By
combining the deterrence methods of saturation patrols and sobriety checkpoints, law enforcement agencies
can yield greater results.
FDOT funding will be used to implement MPD's "FY 2022 DUI Checkpoint and Saturation Patrol Overtime
Project" to decrease impaired driving related traffic crashes and fatalities and enhance its enforcement efforts
and deterrence capability, with the execution of DUI checkpoints and DUI saturation patrol countermeasures.
MPD will conduct at least one (1) DUI checkpoint each quarter, if permitted due to COVID-19 protocols.
Checkpoints will be either large-scale operations requiring a unit of 30 to 50 officers or small-scale manpower
operations requiring a unit of 10 to 15 officers. FDOT funds will be allocated toward off -duty personnel who
must work overtime to man these Saturation Patrols and checkpoints. For Checkpoints, we will employ a
minimum of two (2) sergeants as supervisors, a minimum of 10 officers and a minimum of one (1) public
service aide to support vehicle impoundment, breathalyzer testing, and other duties as needed. Per
department policy, a Supervisor must be in charge of a checkpoint. Therefore, we respectfully request that a
Sergeant or Lieutenant be allowed to participate in the project. We will also employ a minimum of 3 officers to
conduct a minimum of one DUI Saturation Patrol per month. Holidays and special event nights, including
FDOT-sponsored events often require larger enforcement operations. MPD will provide manpower and
equipment (Breath Alcohol Testing mobile, light tower, etc.) to partner with and assist other local agencies,
thereby leveraging this grant to multiply the effectiveness of the DUI checkpoint operations .
Pre and post operations' briefings will be conducted to ensure all officers are made aware and understand the
policies and procedures, goals, duties, and objectives of the operation. This effort is also a component of the
"Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over" campaign from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (this is the
FDOT sponsored event). Officers will be on alert to apprehend motorists who are driving impaired and will
show zero tolerance for motorists who violate Florida's traffic laws. In our DUI enforcement operations, we will
utilize officers that are trained in Standardized Field Sobriety Testing (SFST) or have attended the Advanced
Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement Course (ARIDE). Whenever possible, we will use our certified Drug
Recognition Experts (DRE), the foremost DUI enforcement officers in the Department.
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SAFETY
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STATE OF FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
HIGHWAY SAFETY CONCEPT PAPER
Concept Paper Summary
Checkpoints will have a high visibility police presence in an effort to reduce serious vehicular crashes . We will
work with the Miami -Dade County State Attorney's Office, which frequently attends our DUI checkpoints to
ensure MPD officers are performing duties in compliance with state guidelines.
MPD will work with the media to increase the public's awareness of arrest as a consequence for driving while
impaired by alcohol or other drugs. The media will be invited to participate in the sobriety checkpoint
operations and will be provided with the results of the checkpoints. MPD's Public Information Office will work
with local media to enhance messaging to the local population.
"Personnel Services" cover overtime salary and benefits including Medicare and social security, and other
expenses for essential personnel working DUI checkpoints and saturation patrols and those performing clerical
functions (report preparation and submission). FDOT funding will pay for sworn and non -sworn law enforcement
personnel with these ranks: Police Officer, Captain, Sergeant and Lieutenant. The total project cost for the
implementation of the "FY 2022 Miami DUI Checkpoint and Saturation Patrol Overtime Project" is $90,000.
Sources:
(6)http://www.miamidadematters.org/indicators/index/view?indicatorld=2364&localeld=4 14
(7)https://www.thecommunityguide.org/findings/motor-vehicle-injury-alcohol-impaired-driving-publicized-sobriet
y-checkpoint-programs
(8) https://charlottedwiattorney.com/saturation-patrols/
Sustainabilitv:
The Miami Police Department is committed to making Miami's streets safe from impaired drivers and DUI
violators. MPD will work to the greatest extent possible to sustain the "FY 2022 Miami DUI Checkpoint and
Saturation Patrol Overtime Project" after grant funding is expended. MPD will continue conducting its own DUI
checkpoints using a combination of on duty officers and if surplus money is available, officers working limited
overtime hours. We will assist other agencies with their DUI checkpoints using on -duty officers. Furthermore,
the City of Miami's Office of Grants Administration will search and submit for additional grant opportunities to
ensure the project remains funded. MPD will also leverage relationships in the community and reach out to
organizations, companies, and agencies, for public/private partnerships.
Project Objectives:
1) Conduct at least one (1) DUI Checkpoint each quarter, COVID-19 permitting. Scope of operation may be a
large-scale operation of 30-50 officers or a small-scale operation of 10-15 officers.
2) Conduct a minimum of one (1) DUI Saturation Patrols per month.
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SAFETY
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STATE OF FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
HIGHWAY SAFETY CONCEPT PAPER
Concept Paper Summary
3) Support 20 local and state DUI checkpoints with manpower and equipment
4) During the grant period, reduce the number of alcohol related traffic crashes in the City of Miami by a
minimum of 2% percent compared to the three year average of the most recent data.
5) During the grant period, reduce the number of alcohol related traffic fatalities by 33% compared to the three
year average of the most recent data.
Evaluation:
The "Process Evaluation" method is most suitable for evaluating the number of DUI checkpoints and DUI
saturation patrols and motorists who received educational literature. This method lends itself to assessing the
completion of steps taken to achieve desired program outcomes. Conducting the checkpoints and patrols are
all part of the process of reducing alcohol related fatalities and alcohol related traffic crashes , they are the
"steps taken".
The "Outcome Evaluation" method will be used to evaluate reduction in alcohol related fatalities and reduction
in alcohol related traffic crashes. This will provide a quantifiable framework by which we can measure the
bottom line of the results of this program, as it considers program goals to determine if desired changes have
been attained as a result of the intervention.
To ensure a thorough evaluation of the success of our DUI Checkpoint and Saturation Patrol Overtime Project,
the City of Miami Police Department will measure the following metrics:
1) Number of DUI Checkpoints conducted per quarter.
2) Number of DUI Saturation Patrols conducted per month.
3) Number of local and State DUI checkpoints supported.
4) Number of alcohol related crashes.
5) Number of alcohol related traffic fatalities.
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STATE OF FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
HIGHWAY SAFETY CONCEPT PAPER
Concept Paper Budget
500-065-17
SAFETY
05/18
BUDGET CATEGORY NARRATIVE: FEDERAL MATCH TOTAL INDIRECT
FUNDS ELIGIBILITY
A. Personnel Services
Saturation Patrol Sworn- law
enforcement personnel
DUI Checkpoints and DUI
Saturation Patrol Overtime
Salary and Benefits as follows -
Sworn law enforcement
personnel:
FICA/Medicare @ 1.45%
and
Non -sworn law enforcement
personnel:
FICA (Social Security &
Medicare)
$90,000
$0 $90,000
Subtotal $90,000 $0 $90,000
B. Contractual Services
Subtotal $0 $0 $0
C. Expenses - Any purchase with a per item unit cost of $200 or more from any line item within this Category, excluding
software, must have FDOT State Safety Office written approval, prior to purchase.
Subtotal
D. Equipment Costing $5,000 or More
$0 $0
Subtotal
E. Indirect Cost
$0 $0 $0
$0
$0
Subtotal $0
Total Cost of Project
$90,000
$0
$0
$90,000
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