Sentinel staff report–
Another DUI and drivers license checkpoint will be conducted this Friday and Saturday in Citrus Heights, police said in a news release issued this week.
The checkpoint will be held at “an undisclosed location” in the city between 8 p.m. and 2 a.m., beginning Friday night, Dec. 15, and continuing through early Saturday morning.
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Past checkpoint operations typically include officers briefly stopping vehicles to look for signs of alcohol and drug impairment, as well as checking drivers for valid licensing. Police also warn that drug-impaired driving includes many prescription drugs and over-the-counter medications.
A prior checkpoint held on Sept. 22 on Greenback Lane near Birdcage Street did not result in any DUI arrests, but police reported that a total of 884 vehicles were stopped and 26 citations were issued for various offenses, including driving without a license or with a suspended license.
As previously reported on The Sentinel, the Citrus Heights Police Department says it announces DUI operations in advance as a public awareness tool to help deter drivers from getting behind the wheel drunk in the first place. The department also regularly deploys “DUI Saturation Patrols,” which specifically search for, and pull over, drivers showing signs of intoxication.
Police said the latest checkpoint is part of a statewide 18-day holiday enforcement campaign in place through Jan. 1, with law enforcement planning to deploy DUI checkpoints and saturation patrols to crackdown on drunk and drugged driving.
“This holiday season, drivers will notice increased enforcement watching closely for anyone who is driving impaired,” Police Sgt. Kris Frey said in this week’s statement announcing the checkpoint and holiday crackdown. “We’ll be arresting anyone we catch driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.”
Funding for CHPD’s checkpoints comes from a California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) grant, through the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration. CHPD was awarded a $164,000 OTS grant earlier this year to help fund a year-long program of safety-related efforts, with a focus on DUI checkpoints and saturation patrols.
