1,520 drivers arrested so far during county-wide DUI crackdown

http://www.dailynews.com/general-news/20131226/1520-drivers-arrested-so-far-during-county-wide-dui-crackdown

By Brian Day, December 26, 2013

A multi-agency task force taking part in a holiday season crackdown on intoxicated driving has arrested 1,520 people for DUI during the first 13 days of the ongoing campaign, authorities said.

The number of arrests between 12:01 a.m. Dec. 13 and 11:59 p.m. Wednesday rose about 7 percent from the same time period in 2012, when 1,425 DUI arrests were reported by the Avoid the 100 Task Force, task force coordinator and Glendora police Senior Community Service Officer Wendy Brewer said in a written statement.

Police agencies, sheriff’s stations and California Highway Patrol offices will continue their county-wide crackdown through Jan. 1, Brewer explained.

Checkpoints were planned Friday by El Monte police, La Habra police, the sheriff’s Industry Station, tentatively the Pasadena police and others, Brewer said.

Checkpoints were planned Saturday night by Arcadia, San Gabriel, Whittier El Monte an Long Beach police, as well as the sheriff’s San Dimas Station and others.

The CHP will engage in a “maximum enforcement period” beginning at 6 p.m. Dec. 31 and running through New Year’s Day. the end of the crackdown at midnight, Brewer said.

During the maximum enforcement period, “The CHP will deploying all available officers,” Brewer said. “Additionally, all regularly scheduled traffic and patrol officers will focus efforts at stopping and arresting DUI drivers during their normal shifts.”

As always, anyone who sees an impaired driver on the road is encouraged to call 9-1-1.