9 DUI Checkpoints Set in LA

The Los Angeles Police Department said on June 1 that it will run nine DUI checkpoints and four saturation patrols across Los Angeles between June 1 and June 8, part of a weeklong enforcement push that stretches from the San Fernando Valley to the Harbor area. The checkpoints are scheduled on six nights, with most set for 6 p.m. to 11 p.m., according to an LAPD news release. The department also listed saturation patrols in Foothill, 77th/Southeast and Van Nuys divisions. LAPD said checkpoint locations were chosen using data on impaired-driving crashes and arrests. ### Where are the nine checkpoints scheduled? Tuesday, June 2 includes a DUI checkpoint at Van Nuys Boulevard and Remick Avenue from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m., LAPD said. Thursday, June 4 adds two more: Vermont Avenue and Melrose Avenue, and Sherman Way and Allott Avenue, both during the same hours. (lapdonline.org) Friday, June 5 is the busiest night on the schedule, with four checkpoints planned at Venice Boulevard and Western Avenue, Lankershim Boulevard and Strathern Street, Sepulveda Boulevard and Raymer Street, and Western Avenue and Jefferson Boulevard. Saturday, June 6 includes a checkpoint at Pacific Coast Highway and Frigate Avenue, and Sunday, June 7 includes one at Roscoe Boulevard and Haskell Avenue. (lapdonline.org) ### Which neighborhoods are affected by the broader enforcement plan? Monday, June 1 began with a saturation patrol in Foothill Division from 3 p.m. to 11 p.m., according to the LAPD release. Tuesday, June 2 also includes a saturation patrol from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. in 77th/Southeast Division. (lapdonline.org) Sunday, June 7 brings another 77th/Southeast Division saturation patrol from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m., and Monday, June 8 closes the operation with a Van Nuys Division saturation patrol from 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. LAPD did not publish street-by-street patrol routes for those deployments, but it did identify the divisions and time windows. (lapdonline.org) ### Why did LAPD say it picked these locations? LAPD said the checkpoint sites were determined by data showing incidents of impaired-driving crashes and arrests. The department said the main purpose is public safety, including educating drivers about impaired driving and removing suspected impaired drivers from the road. (lapdonline.org) The California Office of Traffic Safety says its police traffic services grants support DUI checkpoints, saturation patrols and officer training aimed at impaired-driving enforcement. LAPD said funding for this week’s program came through a California Office of Traffic Safety grant administered via the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. (lapdonline.org) ### What counts as impaired driving under the warning LAPD issued? LAPD said impaired driving is not limited to alcohol. The department’s notice said some prescription medications and over-the-counter drugs may 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 California Office of Traffic Safety said alcohol-impaired driving remains a leading cause of deadly and serious-injury crashes on California roads. The agency said 1,355 people were killed in alcohol-involved crashes in California in 2023. ### What penalties did LAPD highlight for drivers? LAPD said drivers charged with a first-time DUI face an average of $13,500 in fines and penalties, along with a suspended license. (lapdonline.org) That figure also appears in California Office of Traffic Safety materials used for local DUI enforcement announcements. (ots.ca.gov) The department also said checkpoint locations are subject to change or cancellation. For drivers checking the schedule later in the week, the last listed events are the Roscoe-Haskell checkpoint on June 7 and the Van Nuys Division saturation patrol on June 8. (lapdonline.org)