Group to Present Data on DUI Arrests

Just where in Oxnard and Port Hueneme people are getting arrested on suspicion of drunk driving will be the topic of a public meeting tonight.

The Oxnard--Port Hueneme Community Action Coalition to Prevent DUI will host a demonstration of a computer program that overlays data on drunk-driving arrests on maps of the two cities, said Sharon O’Hara, director of the coalition.

The data have been collected since October as part of a state grant received by the Oxnard and Port Hueneme police departments, O’Hara said.

“The data may tell us where to focus our enforcement or education work,” she said.

The two cities have a history of above-average arrests and accidents related to drunk driving, and since early last year they have coordinated their efforts on sobriety checkpoints and community education programs to curb the problem, O’Hara said.

Officers at a checkpoint Monday night at Ventura Road and Scott Street stopped 400 cars, according to authorities. Two drivers were given field sobriety tests, and although 23 citations were written for various violations, no one was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence.

The community meeting tonight will be presented by the coalition and Associates of Berkeley, which has completed the computer program and is compiling the data, O’Hara said.

Those interested in attending should call 385-7490 to reserve a seat. The meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. at the Port Hueneme Community Center, 550 Park Avenue.