COSTA MESA : Drop in DUI Arrests Linked to Checkpoints
Arrests for driving under the influence of alcohol are down in the city compared with this time last year, and police believe it is due to the six sobriety checkpoints that were conducted this year.
“When you get 3,000 to 5,000 cars driving through a checkpoint, it focuses attention on drinking and driving,” Costa Mesa Police Lt. Jim Watson said. “When that many people have to go through a checkpoint and be scrutinized, it peaks their awareness.”
The most recent checkpoint, on Newport Avenue in front of Triangle Square on Dec. 10, netted eight DUI arrests, compared with 18 arrests last year, Watson said. Thirty-nine drivers have been arrested in the city since Dec. 1, compared with 44 last year. In the month of November, 78 people were arrested last year on DUI charges compared to 55 this year.
Costa Mesa police have applied for a grant through the California State Office of Traffic Safety, and the prospects of holding their own checkpoint look good for next year, Watson said.
In the meantime, a full-time DUI team, consisting of two officers, has worked year-round for several years, four days a week, Watson said.
“They just patrol the streets looking for DUIs,” said Watson. “Usually, they’re out Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.”
He said the team accounts for 40 to 60 DUIs arrests a month.
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