1,304 Motorists Questioned : Anaheim Sobriety Checkpoint Snares 3

A sobriety checkpoint operated by the Anaheim Police Department over the weekend netted three arrests for driving under the influence out of 1,304 motorists questioned.

The checkpoint was operated from 9 p.m. Saturday to 3 a.m. Sunday in the southbound lanes of 900 Beach Boulevard. During that period, 1,304 drivers were stopped and questioned by police, Anaheim police Lt. Jack Parra said.

Besides arresting three motorists on charges of driving under the influence, police issued three citations for possession of an open container of alcoholic beverages and cited two other motorists for driving without licenses, Parra said.

Parra said officers at the checkpoint noticed that several drivers switched places with their passengers in apparent attempts to conceal their intoxication. They were not arrested, however.

Police in Anaheim and Garden Grove plan to operate a similar checkpoint on New Year’s Eve on a common thoroughfare where the two cities have been experiencing problems with drunken motorists, Parra said. In addition, Anaheim police will deploy “roving patrols” to seek motorists driving under the influence, he said.