Crime & Safety
DUI Arrests Up Slightly From Last Year During Holiday Patrols
Law enforcement agencies tout saturation patrols, checkpoints as major deterrent of traffic accidents.
The 2011-2012 Winter Holiday DUI Mobilization effort by law enforcement agencies has netted a higher number of arrests over 2010.
2,433 individuals were arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, up from 2,406 the same period last year authorities said as part of Los Angeles County's Avoid the 100 DUI Campaign. The arrests were recorded between 12:01 a.m. Friday, December 16, 2011 through 12 a.m. Sunday, January 1, 2012.
The CHP made 274 drunk driving arrests in Los Angeles County over the weekend, compared to 228 arrests the previous year.
The crackdown consists of sobriety checkpoints, special saturation patrols and routine patrols conducted by 100 county law enforcement agencies across LA County.
Law enforcement agencies will be conducting more DUI patrols and checkpoints for the upcoming Super Bowl Sunday in February and for the St. Patrick's holiday in March.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), sobriety checkpoint programs can yield considerable cost savings: $6 for every $1 spent.
Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
