Chico City Council unanimously approved a grant to increase alcohol-related driving patrols for the next calendar year.

According to the Chico Police Department, the grant will provide $129,000 for more education and enforcement in alcohol-related driving offenses including:

• Presentations to civic and school groups
• DUI checkpoints
• DUI saturation control

The grant will also fund overtime so officers can complete the enforcement.

Chico State’s reputation has had an unfortunate attachment to various degrees of drinking problems, said councilman Sean Morgan. Hopefully more education and outreach about the risks involved will improve students’ decision-making skills.

“Intoxicated people make poor decisions,” he said. “One of the worst they can make is getting behind the wheel of an automobile. The Safety Traffic Enforcement Program grant will increase enforcement which in turn should lead to fewer incidents.”

Grant funding will be provided for one year starting Oct. 1 and ending Sept. 30, 2015.

Lana Goddu can be reached at [email protected] or @theorion_news on Twitter.