SLO Police Department arrests two in DUI warrant sweep

Two San Luis Obispo residents were arrested Saturday in a sweep targeting people who failed to appear in court for charges of driving under the influence.

San Luis Obispo police officers visited about 45 homes Saturday in search of “high-risk” DUI offenders who either failed to show in court or violated the terms of their probation on a previous DUI case, police Sgt. John Villanti said Tuesday.

These DUI Warrant Service Operations are new for the department, funded this year through a grant provided by the California Office of Traffic Safety, Villanti said. The department applies for the grant every year. The department has traditionally used the grant to pay for checkpoints and saturation patrols to curb driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

Villanti said the two people arrested Saturday had violated the terms of their probation by not completing court-mandated alcohol classes. He said city residents can expect similar operations throughout the year.

This story was originally published March 8, 2016 at 12:38 PM with the headline "SLO Police Department arrests two in DUI warrant sweep."