September 23, 2025
Agenda Item No. 19
TO:
HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL
FROM:
David Miner, Chief of Police - 949-644-3701, [email protected] PREPARED BY:
Sabrina Fabbri, Traffic Sergeant - 949-644-3743, [email protected] TITLE:
Acceptance of the State of California Office of Traffic Safety Selective Traffic Enforcement Program Grant PT26058 ABSTRACT:
The Newport Beach Police Department (NBPD) seeks acceptance of a grant totaling $515,000 from the State of California, Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) to fund a Driving Under the Influence (DUI) Enforcement and Awareness Program, Traffic Safety Enforcement Operations and DUI Sobriety Checkpoints.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
Determine this action is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Sections 15060(c)(2) and 15060(c)(3) of the CEQA Guidelines because this action will not result in a physical change to the environment, directly or indirectly; Authorize the City Council to accept a $515,000 Selective Traffic Enforcement Program award granted to the Newport Beach Police Department by the State of California, Office of Traffic Safety; and Approve Budget No. Amendment 26-028 increasing Newport Beach Police Department revenue estimates and expenditure appropriations by $515,000.
DISCUSSION:
Newport Beach is an attractive location for Orange County nightlife and routinely competes with other cities for the most Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control licensed establishments in the State of California (per capita). The population of Newport Beach is approximately 87,000 residents; however, during the summer months the City experiences an increase in daily visitors that routinely exceeds 100,000. While tourism generates positive tax revenue for the City of Newport Beach, it also stresses the infrastructure, the NBPD and other City departments.
In 2007, the NBPD’s first grant was requested and awarded through the OTS. Since then, the Department has been dedicated to community education, traffic enforcement, and the reduction of DUI-related collisions. The NBPD continues to recognize the need for ongoing DUI enforcement and education, as the Traffic Data Summary Table below shows.
Collision Type
2022 Totals
2023 Totals
2024 Totals
Collisions
Victims
Collisions
Victims
Collisions
Victims
Fatal
7 10
4 4
6 6
Injury
344
464
395
518
422
552
2022 – Alcohol / Hit & Run / Nighttime Related Collisions 2023 – Alcohol / Hit & Run / Nighttime Related Collisions 2024 – Alcohol / Hit & Run / Nighttime Related Collisions Fatal
Injury
Killed
Injured
Fatal
Injury
Killed
Injured
Fatal
Injury
Killed
Injured
Alcohol-Involved
3 63
5 86
0 60
1 75
2 67
2 84
Hit & Run
1 29
1 33
0 28
1 30
1 21
1 23
Nighttime
(2100-0259 hours)
2 65
4 89
1 45
1 55
2 65
23 91
Top 3 Primary Collision Factors 2024
Total Collisions
Fatal
Injury
#1 -
Speed
274
160
#2 -
DUI
176
45 #3 -
Unsafe Turn
133
62 The NBPD applied for, and has been awarded, a grant from OTS to increase DUI enforcement and awareness and to fund additional traffic safety enforcement in the City. Funds for grant number PT26058 become available on October 1, 2025, and will expire on September 30, 2026.
The grant funds will cover overtime and benefit costs for officers specifically assigned to DUI enforcement and awareness programs. This includes a full-time officer dedicated to DUI Enforcement, DUI Checkpoint Operations, DUI Saturation Patrol Operations and Traffic Enforcement Operations related to distracted driving, motorcycle safety and bicycle/pedestrian enforcement. In-state travel and training expenses are also included in the grant for officers attending the Standardized Field Sobriety Testing, Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement, and Drug Recognition Expert training courses.
The “Know Your Limit” program is also a part of the grant this year. The “Know Your Limit” program is a collaborative effort between the NBPD and Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) licensed establishments to educate patrons about the dangers of drinking and driving. NBPD personnel visit local alcohol-licensed establishments and provide patrons with voluntary breath tests in order to educate them on their blood alcohol concentration, thereby allowing patrons to “Know Your Limit” before they consider driving after consuming alcohol.
Almost all DUI efforts involve overtime, as they are unique and short-term assignments that do not involve personnel scheduled to work a regular patrol assignment. In other words, the NBPD retains the same number of officers on regularly scheduled patrol while additional officers are added for the sole purpose of conducting OTS grant-funded DUI enforcement at no additional cost to the City.
FISCAL IMPACT:
Revenue estimates and expenditure appropriations will be increased to accept the 2026 State of California, OTS Selective Traffic Enforcement Program (STEP) Grant (#PT26058) for increasing DUI Enforcement and Awareness and funding additional traffic safety enforcement, as well as DUI Sobriety Checkpoints. Funds will also be used to pay for an officer assigned full-time to DUI enforcement, their benefits, overtime costs specifically used for this program, related costs for travel and training, and supplies.
Account
Category
Amount
11035-713002-G2615
Overtime, Safety
$329,514
11035-727016-G2615
Medicare Fringes
$6,490
11035-861001-G2615
Travel & Meetings
$2,497
Various
Other Direct Costs
$176,499
Total FY 2025-26 STEP Grant
$515,000
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT:
Staff recommends the City Council find this action is not subject to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Sections 15060(c)(2) (the activity will not result in a direct or reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment) and 15060(c)(3) (the activity is not a project as defined in Section 15378) of the CEQA Guidelines, California Code of Regulations, Title 14, Chapter 3, because it has no potential for resulting in physical change to the environment, directly or indirectly.
NOTICING:
The agenda item has been noticed according to the Brown Act (72 hours in advance of the meeting at which the City Council considers the item).
ATTACHMENTS:
Attachment A – Budget Amendment
Attachment B – OTS Grant Agreement Copy
19-3
19-1
Acceptance of the State of California Office of Traffic Safety Selective Traffic Enforcement Program Grant PT26058
September 23, 2025
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