The Moraga Police Department (MPD) was awarded a California Highway Patrol Cannabis Grant in the amount of $165,998 for Fiscal Year 2026-27.  The funds will be used toward the purchase and equipping of a patrol vehicle in addition to providing training and overtime for particular enforcement of driving under the influence-related laws.    

    In 2016, California voters passed Proposition 64:  The Control, Regulate, and Tax Adult Use of Marijuana Act.  This legalizes specific personal use and cultivation of marijuana for adults 21 years of age and older; reduces criminal penalties for specific marijuana-related offenses; and authorizes re-sentencing or dismissal and sealing of prior, eligible marijuana-related convictions. 

    MPD Chief Jon King’s Aug. 26 staff report noted that Prop 64 “established the Cannabis Tax Fund Grant Program (CTFGP), which allocates funds to local governments for use in reducing impaired driving crashes, increasing public awareness, and improving enforcement of alcohol and drug-related traffic laws, including cannabis. The CTFGP, which is administered by the California Highway Patrol, awarded over $41 million to agencies across the state in 2026.”

    King also stated, “The number of DUI arrests in Moraga nearly doubled between 2022 and 2025.  Additionally, while there were no reported accidents involving DUI drivers in 2022, there were eight DUI-related accidents in 2025.”

    With this in mind, MPD’s Lieutenant Steve Borbely undertook the task of securing the grant that would fund officer overtime for specific DUI enforcement and regular patrol shifts, provide for enforcement training courses, and the purchase of a new patrol vehicle with the proper DUI enforcement equipment and signage that will appear on the vehicle’s exterior. MPD was awarded the full grant amount that it requested.