The Santa Ana Police Department will be conducting a DUI/Drivers License checkpoint on Saturday, March 26th, 2011. It will begin at 7:30PM and is scheduled to conclude at 1:00AM. It will be conducted in the area of 3500 W 5th Street, according to the SAPD Citizen Observer website.
My own research indicates that these checkpoints actually do little to stop DUIs. In reality the SAPD uses these checkpoints to seize cars from undocumented immigrants – then they force them to pay hundreds of dollars to get their cars back.
I also found that the DUI checkpoints are never conducted in north and south Santa Ana – only in the Latino middle.
The DUI checkpoints are paid for by state grants. Local cops love them because they make a fortune working overtime.
Here is how the SAPD explains the reason they do the DUI checkpoints.
In an effort to reduce the number of persons killed and injured in alcohol involved crashes, DUI checkpoints are conducted to identify offenders and get them off the street, as well as educate the public on the dangers of impaired driving. All too often, members of our community are senselessly injured or killed on local roadways by impaired drivers. This DUI/Drivers License checkpoint is an effort to reduce those tragedies, as well as ensuring drivers have a valid driver’s license. A major component of these checkpoints is to increase awareness of the dangers of impaired driving and to encourage sober designated drivers.
A DUI checkpoint is a proven effective method for achieving this goal. By publicizing these enforcement and education efforts, the Santa Ana Police Department believes motorists can be deterred from drinking and driving.
Traffic volume and weather permitting, all vehicles may be checked and drivers who are under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs will be arrested. Our objective is to send a clear message to those who are considering driving a motor vehicle after consuming alcohol and/or drugs – Drunk Driving, Over the Limit, Under Arrest. The public is encouraged to help keep roadways safe by calling 911 if they see a suspected impaired driver. Funding for this operation is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
I think you should check the facts on the “never” in the sentence about North Santa Ana. I have been through one of these checkpoints at Grand just before Santa Clara heading north. I agree though that they are ineffective and the target is more money for the police.
tmare,
I met with Chief Walters. He gave me a list of the past locations, which I plotted in a Google map, in my previous post about the DUI checkpoints, which I linked to in this post. I do not recall that location being on the list.
Correa and Solorio told me they would try to de-fund these checkpoints. So far that has yet to happen…
Pedroza is a closet radical with a conscience. You know it.
That is interesting since I actually went through the checkpoint.
I am not doubting that, but I don’t recall if that site was on Walters’ list. Please check the map on my original post.
PS. I just checked my map. The Grand site is on it. But you will see there have been no checkpoints north of Santa Clara and none south of Warner.
The SAPD clearly states on their website that they are checking for licenses. We know what that means – they are targeting immigrants, not drunks.