7 DUI Checkpoints Set for LA Weekend

The Los Angeles Police Department said on Thursday, May 14, that it had scheduled seven DUI checkpoints and three saturation patrols across Los Angeles during the week ending Sunday, May 17. Three of the checkpoints are set for Friday night, two for Saturday night and two were scheduled for Thursday, according to an LAPD news release. The department said the operations are aimed at impaired-driving enforcement and public safety. LAPD also said checkpoint locations are based on data showing impaired-driving crashes and arrests. ### Where are the Friday, May 15 checkpoints? Friday, May 15, has three LAPD checkpoints scheduled from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. at Crenshaw Boulevard and Jefferson Boulevard, Pacific Avenue and 1st Street, and Santa Monica Boulevard and Bronson Avenue, the department said. Those locations place enforcement in South Los Angeles, San Pedro and Hollywood. (lapdonline.org) The LAPD release said the Friday operations are part of a broader weeklong enforcement plan that began Monday and runs through Sunday. Patch, citing the same department release, reported the citywide effort as a weekend enforcement push with mapped locations across Los Angeles. (lapdonline.org) ### Which checkpoints are scheduled after Friday? Saturday, May 16, has two checkpoints scheduled from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. at Topanga Canyon and Marylee Street and at Roscoe and Coldwater Canyon, according to LAPD. Those locations are in the western San Fernando Valley and the Valley Glen-North Hollywood area. (lapdonline.org) Thursday, May 14, also had two checkpoints scheduled from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. at Olympic Boulevard and Orme Street and at Nordhoff and Woodley, the release said. By counting Thursday, Friday and Saturday together, the department listed seven checkpoints for the three-day stretch. (lapdonline.org) ### What patrols are happening besides the checkpoints? Monday, May 11, included a DUI saturation patrol in Foothill Division from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m., and Tuesday, May 12, included another in Olympic Division from 3 p.m. to 11 p.m., LAPD said. Sunday, May 17, is scheduled to bring a third saturation patrol in Mission Division from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. (lapdonline.org) The department distinguishes saturation patrols from fixed checkpoints by deploying officers across a division rather than at a single screening location. LAPD did not give arrest targets in the release, but said the primary purpose is to educate drivers about impaired driving and remove suspected impaired drivers from the road. (lapdonline.org) ### What is LAPD telling drivers? LAPD said impaired driving is not limited to alcohol. The department said some prescription medications and over-the-counter drugs can interfere with driving, and it said driving under the influence of marijuana remains illegal even though medicinal and recreational marijuana are legal in California. (lapdonline.org) The release said drivers charged with a first-time DUI face an average of $13,500 in fines and penalties, along with a suspended license. LAPD also said checkpoint sites are subject to change or cancellation. ### Who is paying for the enforcement program? The LAPD release said the enforcement program is funded by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. (lapdonline.org) The department did not disclose the grant amount in the notice announcing this week’s operations. Sunday, May 17, is the next listed enforcement date in the current LAPD schedule, with a Mission Division saturation patrol set for noon to 8 p.m. Drivers looking for updates will need to check LAPD notices because the department said checkpoint locations can change or be canceled. (lapdonline.org)