JOHNSTOWN - Two programs run through the Fulton County Traffic Safety Board -including one designed to better collect drinking and driving fines meted out by local courts -were deemed successful by the board this week.
STOP-DWI Program Coordinator David Wiltey reported on the new fine program, which netted more than $30,000, at the board's meeting recently at the County Office Building.
The board's STOP-DWI Program -administrated through the office of District Attorney Louise Sira - is funded entirely by county courts' fine money derived from drinking and driving, and driving while ability impaired convictions. But Wiltey said it is sometimes very hard to collect fine from the defendants in court.
Wiltey said he and Beth Austin, confidential secretary in Sira's office, met with some of the judges in various municipal courts. The end result was a new program set up between Wiltey's program and the county Probation Department to better collect the fine money.
"It sets up people on a payment program," Wiltey said, and $30,785 has been collected so far.
Assistant District Attorney Chad Brown said the first try is to collect money through defendants who have public defenders and assigned counsel.
"If they can't do that, we do it through probation," Brown said.
Wiltey said the concept is to recover as much fine money as possible from cases that have "slipped through the cracks."
"I think it's been pretty successful," he said.
Wiltey also reported to his board it's 22nd annual New Year's Eve Safe Ride Program resulted in 426 riders taking advantage of free rides home.
"Again, it was a very successful night," he said.
He said the program received more than 200 calls in which Glove City Taxi carried revelers safely to their homes. He praised the fact Fulton County for the 22nd straight year had no fatal alcohol-related accidents and "very few" drinking and driving arrests on New Year's Eve.
Michael Anich covers Johnstown and Fulton County news. He can be reached at johnstown@leaderherald.com