It has been reported that the Office of Traffic Safety has announced that another $8 million has been allocated for law enforcement activities that deter driving under the influence in California.  This increase from $5 million in 2009 to $8 million in 2010, will be used to fund DUI checkpoints throughout the state.  This is an increase of about 47% and the grant money will be shared among 148 law enforcement agencies.  We have already seen an increase in the number of DUI Checkpoints and Roving DUI Saturation Patrols scheduled by local Orange County law enforcement agencies in 2009, the number in 2010 will be astounding.  The director of the Office of Traffic Safety commented that California conducts more DUI checkpoints than any other state and that 2010 will be “the year of the Checkpoint”.

According to a Orange County Sheriff’s Department Press Release dated December 17, 2009, the Orange County Sheriff’s Department will be conducting several checkpoints throughout Orange County, California this upcoming holiday season:

Friday, December 18, 2009:

DUI/DL Checkpoint (Anaheim) 7:00 p.m.-to-3:00 a.m. (Including DUI Saturation Patrols)

DUI/DL Checkpoint (Buena Park) 7:00 p.m.-to-3:00 a.m.

DUI/DL Checkpoint (Garden Grove) 7:00 p.m.-to-3:00 a.m.

DUI/DL Checkpoint (Placentia) 7:00 p.m.-to-3:00 a.m.

DUI/DL Checkpoint (Cypress) 7:00 p.m.-to-3:00 a.m.

DUI/DL Checkpoint (Westminster) 7:00 p.m.-to-3:00 a.m.

DUI/DL Checkpoint (Stanton) 7:00 p.m.-to-3:00 a.m.

Saturday, December 19, 2009:

DUI/DL Checkpoint (Garden Grove) 7:00 p.m.-to-3:00 a.m.

DUI Saturation Patrols (Anaheim) 8:00 p.m.-to-3:00 a.m.

DUI Task Force Operations (Placentia, Buena Park, La Habra & Fullerton) 8:00 p.m.-to-2:00 a.m.

Sunday, December 20, 2009:

DUI Saturation Patrols (Fullerton) 8:00 p.m.-to-3:00 a.m.

Saturday, December 26, 2009:

DUI Saturation Patrols (Anaheim) 8:00 p.m.-to-3:00 a.m.

Thursday, December 31, 2009:

DUI Saturation Patrols (Anaheim) 8:00 p.m.-to-3:00 a.m.

Saturday, January 2, 2010:

DUI/DL Checkpoint (Aliso Viejo) 7:00 p.m.-to-3:00 a.m.

According to the Press Release, in addition to the above-listed operations, the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, as well as Police Departments for the cities of Brea, Cypress, Fountain Valley, Huntington Beach, La Habra, Los Alamitos, Newport Beach, Placentia, Westminster, and the California State University at Fullerton will be holding DUI  Saturation Patrols over the entire holiday season.

If you, or anyone you know, has been charged with driving under the influence as a resut of a DUI Checkpoint and/or DUI Saturation Patrol, contact the Law Office of Barry T. Simons for a free consultation at: 949-497-1729.

OCSD Press Release: DUI Roving Patrol Event

According to a Orange County Sheriff’s Department (OCSD) Press Release dated December 2, 2009, the Orange County Sheriff’s Department will be conducting DUI roving patrols in the Cities of Laguna Niguel, Aliso Viejo, Laguna Hills and Laguna Woods on Friday, December 4, 2009.  The effort is part of the on-going “Avoid the 12″ DUI Task Force program.  These Multi-City DUI Teams will be targeting areas that high a high incidence of DUI related arrests and collisions.  Funding for this program has been provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).