El Dorado County Sheriff Deputy John Broadfoot was arrested earlier this year for driving under the influence after crashing his vehicle into a parked car. This was his 3rd DUI arrest in a matter of months. The first drunk driving incident occurred last December in South Lake Tahoe. After being placed on administrative leave through the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Department and facing a license suspension, Broadfoot received his 2nd DUI arrest in February. During that incident he rolled his SUV but was not injured. The most recent arrest occurred in the middle of the afternoon and resulted in additional obstruction charges. Each time Broadfoot’s blood alcohol level was reported at .15 or above. The Deputy posted $250,000 bail and was fitted with an alcohol-monitoring device to ensure his sobriety.
Unfortunately, DUI recidivism in California and throughout the country is a cruel reality. Jail, license suspension and high fines do not seem to be a good enough deterrent for some people. Many times the problem is rooted in alcohol or drug addiction. 24/7 alcohol monitoring for repeat DUI offenders has proven effective. It requires the participant to remain sober giving monitors immediate notification of a violation. While it is truly a miracle that these three drunk driving incidents did not end in tragedy, that is not always the case. Perhaps with mandatory monitoring of repeat drunk drivers serious injuries and even fatalities can be prevented.