Behind the Badge
More than 1,000 vehicles passed through the La Habra Police Department’s recent DUI checkpoint, leading to five arrests.
The checkpoint was held on northbound Harbor Boulevard at the city’s southern border. Of the 1,352 vehicles that drove through the checkpoint from 9 p.m. Friday, Dec. 13 to 3 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 14, 12 DUI investigations resulted in five people being arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
“The holiday season is upon us once again and the LHPD wants to remind everyone that they must remain responsible when drinking,” La Habra Traffic Sergeant Eddie Torres said. “Driving even after one drink or ingesting marijuana can lead to devastating consequences, accidents, or maybe even a death.”
In addition to the arrests made, 12 people were cited for driving without a valid license and six vehicles were towed or impounded due to licensing issues.
Checkpoints are funded through a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, which works to enforce traffic laws and reduce traffic-related injuries and deaths. The latest campaign seeks to educate drivers that “DUI doesn’t just mean booze,” and reminds drivers that 1,120 people were killed in alcohol-involved crashes in the state in 2017, according to the California Office of Traffic Safety.
“The LHPD takes a strong stance against DUIs and has had a longstanding partnership with the California Office of Traffic Safety to help reduce the number of people injured or killed on La Habra roadways,” Torres said. “Chief Jerry Price and the entire La Habra Police Department want everyone to have a safe and happy holiday season.”
