Coalition Hopes a New Attitude Reduces DUIs

Officers from the Oxnard Police Department are hoping that a new coalition of community members can reduce the number of people injured and killed by drunk drivers in their own city and neighboring Port Hueneme.

During a news conference Monday at The Esplanade mall, Oxnard Officer Ken Klopman announced the formation of the Community Action Coalition to Prevent DUI. “The goal is not to just say don’t drink and drive,” Klopman said. Rather, the council will consider ways to change attitudes about alcohol consumption, he said.

How bad is the problem of drinking drivers in Ventura County? Klopman stood next to a Christmas tree that had been adorned with 817 lights--each representing a person injured or killed by a drunk driver in the past year in the county.

In 1995, more than 900 people were arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence in Oxnard and Port Hueneme, Klopman said. The year before, Oxnard ranked No. 1 in the state among cities of similar size for accidents involving motorists driving under the influence.

The coalition, part of a two-year program made possible by a $314,000 grant from the state Office of Traffic Safety, will focus on reducing the number of impaired drivers in Oxnard and Port Hueneme.

This could include asking gas station owners to stop selling single-serving alcohol containers at the cash register. In addition, the coalition might try to get bars and restaurants to discontinue happy hours, typically a time when people can drink a lot for a little money, Klopman said.

In addition to the coalition, the grant will pay for two more years of sobriety checkpoints in Oxnard and Port Hueneme, Klopman said.

Those interested in becoming part of the coalition should call 385-8185.