Governor Reverses Plans to Raid LEAF

A day after the Denver Post reported a move by Governor Ritter to divert most of the money from a special DUI enforcement fund to plug holes in the state's budget, the Governor's office announced that the plan has been scrapped and that the Law Enforcement Assistance Fund will remain intact for use by law enforcement agencies thoroughout the state for dedicated enforcement of drunk-driving laws. The Governor cited numerous concerns by law enforcement as the chief reason for the reversal of the executive order. Details of the Denver Post article may be found at http://www.denverpost.com/ci_13256898.

Governor Seeks to Raid Special DUI Enforcement Fund

Governor Ritter has announced he will seek to permanently divert over $1 million in the state's Law Enforcement Assistance Fund (LEAF) that was started over 25 years ago in order to alleviate a state budget shortfall of $318 million, according to the Denver Post. LEAF funds are distributed to law enforcement agencies statewide to pay for extra DUI enforcement and officer overtime. LEAF is funded by surcharges paid by all persons who are convicted of alcohol-related driving offenses. Most recently, LEAF funds have been used to promote and fund "The Heat is On!" anti-drunk-driving campaign enforcement. The effect of the Governor's action will be the elimination of special or extraordinary DUI enforcement measures by most law enforcement agencies, but don't expect overall DUI arrest numbers to be significantly affected, as there will still be plenty of patrol officers statewide looking for any form of traffic offense, including DUI. The Denver Post article on this matter may be found at http://www.denverpost.com/ci_13249269.