Paramount to Set Up Its First Checkpoint for Drivers Using Drugs

The city will set up its first narcotics sobriety checkpoint Friday to seek drivers under the influence of drugs.

The checkpoint will be similar to sobriety roadblocks used by police agencies looking for drunk drivers. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, which provides law enforcement for the city, will operate the checkpoint from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. on Alondra Boulevard between Gundry and Orange avenues.

“The city is making a statement that it wants drugs out of the community,” said Lt. Michael Kenyon of the sheriff’s Lakewood substation.

Although sheriff’s deputies previously have checked for drivers impaired by alcohol and drugs, this checkpoint will be the first to carry signs warning that drivers will be checked for drug impairment, Kenyon said.

‘Not a Trap’

Following legal guidelines, deputies will post signs warning of both alcohol and narcotics checks 200 to 300 feet before the actual barricade, Kenyon said. “We’re not trying to spring a trap on them,” he added.

Deputy City Manager Patrick West said the checkpoint is part of the city’s effort to bring a drug problem under control in one of its neighborhoods. “We want to let people know that the city will not tolerate drug activity,” West said.

Undercover sheriff’s deputies in March arrested 56 people on drug charges in the 15300 block of Gundry Avenue. The charges included possessing, selling and purchasing rock cocaine. The city closed off a portion of the street by building a concrete storm drain to create a cul-de-sac. Two deputies on bicycles now patrol the area.

“We believe we have a major handle on the drug activity with the things we have done,” West said.

However, West said, “We don’t want to be naive and think drugs have disappeared. That’s one of the purposes of the checkpoint.”

More than 20 deputies will help operate the checkpoint, said Deputy William Edmonds, a drug recognition expert. The deputies will be looking for such signs as involuntary eye jerking, dilated or constricted pupils, confusion and slurred speech. Individuals suspected of being under the influence of drugs will be required to take a blood or urine test at a hospital or sheriff’s office.

Formula for Checking

Since deputies are prevented by law from stopping every car, they will use a formula, such as stopping every fourth car. Drivers arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of liquor will be taken to the Lakewood substation, allowed to sober up and given citations with notices to appear in court.

City officials said they do not know how often checkpoints will be conducted. Officials are required by law to announce checkpoints in advance.

Jack R. Winkler, assistant attorney general, informed city officials in March that the California Supreme Court ruled in a 1987 case that it would be legal to conduct police roadblocks as long as the purpose was to remove impaired motorists who endanger others. It would be illegal to use the checkpoints to search a vehicle or its occupants for narcotics.