The Santa Ana Police Department (SAPD) is launching an intensive crackdown on impaired driving, according to their Citizen Observer website.
While the SAPD’s DUI checkpoints really don’t work, the good news is that they will also be employing “Saturation Patrols,” which do work. But the bad news is that they have also announced their intention to conduct “driver’s license checks,” which is code for taking cars away from poor, hardworking undocumented immigrants.
Here are a the details about the SAPD crackdown:
The Santa Ana Police Department will join nearly 10,000 other law enforcement agencies nationwide in support of an intensive crackdown on impaired driving August 19–September 5, known as “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over”.
The problem of impaired driving is a serious one. Data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration shows the number of alcohol-impaired-driving fatalities in America fell from 2008 to 2009, but the numbers are still too high.
The crime of impaired driving is a serious one. In 2009 alone, 10,839 people died nationally, and 950 in California, in crashes in which a driver or motorcycle rider was at or above the legal limit, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The age group with the highest percentage of alcohol-impaired-driving fatalities in motor vehicle traffic crashes was the 21-to-24 age group.
The Santa Ana Police Department will be conducting a series of activities during the mobilization to apprehend impaired drivers. These will include the use of saturation patrols and DUI checkpoints. Our goal this year is to reduce the number of persons injured or killed in alcohol related collisions. During the 2010 August/ Labor Day mobilization there were 14 collisions in Santa Ana caused by impaired drivers. This resulted in five injuries and one fatality.
Our enforcement activities will begin on Friday August 19th with a DUI saturation patrol. Ten officers will be deployed throughout the city actively looking for impaired drivers. These saturation patrols will continue throughout the mobilization period. On August 26th, and September 3rd we will be conducting DUI checkpoints.
The Orange County Avoid the 38 DUI Task Force will also deploy DUI/Driver’s License Checkpoints, Multi Agency DUI Task Force operations and local Roving DUI patrols during 18 day Summer/Labor Day Campaign. Our message is simple and unwavering: if we find you driving impaired, we will arrest you. No exceptions.
Contact Information
Contact Name: Officer W. Hadley
Contact Email: WHadley@santa-ana.org
Contact Phone: 714-245-8216
