Office of the Attorney General
Attorney General Conway Announces Regional DUI Training

Attorney General Jack Conway today announced that his office will again host training for police officers and local prosecutors about the effective prosecution of DUI cases at a regional seminar on Wednesday, December 14 through Friday, December 16 at the Hilton Suites at Lexington Green in Lexington, Ky. The training is coordinated through the Office of the Attorney General's (OAG) Traffic Safety Resource Prosecutor Program. The goal of the training is to create a team-building approach in the detection, apprehension and prosecution of impaired drivers.

"Our regional DUI trainings provide police officers and prosecutors with the tools they need to effectively enforce our DUI laws so they can better protect the citizens of our Commonwealth," General Conway said. "The trainings also result in better coordination between police, prosecutors, traffic safety experts and victims' support agencies to ensure that there are appropriate consequences for drunk drivers in Kentucky."

Increased enforcement of Kentucky's DUI laws is having an impact with a steady decrease in the number of alcohol- related traffic fatalities-down from 202 in 2007 to 153 in 2010. As of December 5, 2011, there were 109 alcohol- related fatalities on Kentucky roadways.

Entitled "Protecting Lives, Saving Futures," the regional DUI training is funded through the Kentucky Office of Highway Safety with grant funds provided by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Assistance for this training has been provided by the Kentucky Office of Highway Safety and the Kentucky State Police. Since 2008, more than 360 prosecutors and law enforcement officers have attended the regional DUI trainings.

Previously, this regional training was offered in Bowling Green, Prestonsburg, Covington and Louisville. Additional trainings through the OAG's Traffic Safety Resource Prosecutor program will be offered in other parts of the state later next year.

"The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, and our Office of Highway Safety, look forward to continuing a very effective partnership with the Office of the Attorney General to provide funding in support of the Commonwealth's Traffic Safety Resource Prosecutor," said Transportation Secretary Mike Hancock, who is the Governor's Representative for Highway Safety. "The Office of the Attorney General has done an exceptional job in conducting training workshops and coordinating training opportunities for both law enforcement and prosecutors throughout the state. It is not only our responsibility, it is a priority of this administration to provide all highway safety professionals with the tools and resources they need to save and protect lives on our highways."

Representatives of the organization Mothers Against Drunk Driving also plan to attend the training.

"MADD strongly supports the Traffic Safety Resource Prosecutor Program and commends the Attorney General's office for implementing this program," said Kristen White, MADD Kentucky Victim Advocate. "We are grateful to be invited to participate in the training and hope to shed light on the long-lasting effects that drunk-driving crashes create for victims and survivors. Drunk driving is a serious crime. Trainings such as these help ensure that the criminal justice system address DUI charges consistently and effectively, which ultimately helps protect society from needless death and injury."

The training is presented under the direction of the American Prosecutors Research Institute's (APRI) National Traffic Law Center and is open to the media.