| How
does it work?
STTOP
will take the information phoned in about the driver,
his vehicle and the dangerous driving behavior and attempt
to identify the offender. After locating the driver,
a Sheriff's Deputy conducts an intervention with the
driver and his/her parents. The programs' intent is
not to prosecute, but to correct and educate the offender
and his parents. Getting parents involved is the key.
Young drivers do their best to impress parents with
their safe driving. The parents can't always be there
and peer pressure, or simply wanting to impress friends,
often leads to deadly consequences. The goal of STTOP
is to make teens better, safer drivers, which in turn
benefits all drivers on the roadways.
Unlike
some private organizations, there are no additional
fees charged to parents of teens, to put a bumper sticker
with a "toll free number" on a car (which
can be easily removed). No additional taxes are levied
on citizens. A postcard or letter isn't sent with a
one-size-fits-all message, which can be easily lost
in the mail, or thrown away by the teen. An experienced,
uniformed law enforcement officer from the community
visits the home, unannounced, to talk to the parents
and teen. The impact this has is unrivaled.
What
cities are currently participating?
There
are many cities that already participate in STTOP, with
more in the planning stages to join.
STTOP
was created over 4 years ago, and has grown faster
than anyone imagined. The
following Los Angeles and Ventura County cities currently
participate in STTOP:
|
These cities are included in the following U.S. Congressional Districts: 24th (Rep. Elton Gallegly) , 27th (Rep. Brad Sherman) and 30th (Rep. Henry Waxman). There are many more cities within these three districts and in other districts, that could join the program and help us create a "region of safety" for our kids in California!
Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Department started STTOP in 2003, with Goleta being the rollout city.
April 2006: Great News!! Simi Valley is implementing STTOP.
Who pays for STTOP?
STTOP is funded by the cities who participate in the program, as well as corporate donors. Local small business and private donors have also contributed significantly to support the program.
It is truly a community effort. Please visit our Sponsors page. For more information on STTOP, contact us. |
