CC Police Chief Outlines Benefits for DUI Court Monitoring Program

Editor’s Note:  The following correspondence  from Cripple Creek Police Chief Bud Bright, was sent to TMJ, via the Teller Rifles organization, regarding the Mothers Against Drunk Driving program. For more information, contact project specialist Tuesday Black at 303-425-5902×6854 Tuesday.black@madd.org.

Dear Editor

I was recently contacted by Tuesday Black, Program Manager for the MADD Colorado Court Monitoring Program regarding our County Court here in Cripple Creek. Tuesday explained that she would like to have more of a presence in our County Court. She asked if I knew anyone who would be interested in volunteering as a court monitor.  Impaired drivers are a concern for all of us and this program ensures that the courts are addressing these cases appropriately.

Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) Colorado has implemented a DUI Court Monitoring Program. They identified a need within the Fourth Judicial District, which encompasses both El Paso and Teller County, for this program.  The program in Colorado is funded by a Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) grant.

This program was identified by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) as a countermeasure proven for increasing convictions when selecting effective, evidence-based practices in traffic safety.

The program relies on volunteers and interns to attend court proceedings related to misdemeanor impaired driving cases.  The volunteers receive training to understand necessary court proceedings and they will collect primary data related to these cases.

The estimated time commitment for volunteers is approximately 4 hours per week. This can be virtually or in person. They are flexible if someone needs to split up the time over a few days.

An advisory board was established to guide the data collection and review the reporting process.

If we can get enough interested in this program, Tuesday will come down here and meet with those interested to answer any questions they may have about the program.

Best Regards,

Charles “Bud” Bright

Chief of Police – Cripple Creek