Local DUI checkpoints throughout San Diego resulted in sixteen arrests this past weekend. The checkpoints were achievable through a California Office of Traffic Safety “DUI Mini Grant”. Each sobriety checkpoint, in downtown San Diego, Santee, and Chula Vista, arrested the driver’s for driving while under the influence of alcohol. In all, San Diego police screened 885 of more than 2,000 cars that passed through the Saturday night checkpoints. Twelve people were arrested for drunken driving and three others for undisclosed reasons. All sixteen vehicles were taken by authorities and impounded and eleven other people were issued tickets for infractions. In addition, there was one arrest for a felony warrant and sixty other citations issued. All those convicted for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs can expect vehicle storage fees, license suspension, fines and fees, jail time, the requirement to attend DUI classes and the possibility of higher car insurance rates. When facing DUI charges, it is highly beneficial for an individual to retain an experienced criminal defense attorney to obtain a desirable outcome of their case.
One of the DUI checkpoints conducted by the San Diego Department was located in the 1400 block of G Street in downtown’s East Village. In the time of the operation from 11:00 pm until 3:00 am, 2,257 vehicles passed through the checkpoint. Thirty-six motorists were detained for further evaluation, however at the end of the night twelve of the sixteen total arrests in San Diego were produced from this particular checkpoint. Officer Mark McCullough expressed his opinion on the issue when he stated, “The message is simple, drive sober or get pulled over. Drinking alcohol and driving do not mix. If you plan to consume alcohol, you should also plan not to get behind the wheel of a vehicle or ride a motorcycle.” Officer McCullough spoke of the two campaigns currently aimed at cracking down on DUI drivers which include the national “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign led by the California Office of Traffic Safety and the National Highway Traffic Safety Association and the California DUI Task Force campaign which is geared towards combining high-visibility enforcement and heightened public awareness through publicity. The schedules for the campaign enforcement, as well as daily DUI arrests for the region, can be found online.
Sources:
“East Village DUI Checkpoint”– Scoop SD, August 26, 2013
“16 Arrested in Weekend DUI Checks”– U-T San Diego, August 25, 2013