LAPD Sets Seven DUI Checkpoints This Weekend

The Los Angeles Police Department said Thursday it will deploy seven DUI checkpoints and two saturation patrols across Los Angeles from May 14 through May 17. The agency listed checkpoint sites in South Los Angeles, San Pedro, Hollywood, the West Valley and the San Fernando Valley, with most operations scheduled from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. this weekend. The enforcement plan was posted in an LAPD newsroom release dated May 14. The department said the locations were chosen using data on impaired-driving crashes and arrests. ### Where are the checkpoints this weekend? Thursday, May 14, brings two checkpoints: one at Olympic Boulevard and Orme Street and another at Nordhoff Street and Woodley Avenue, both from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m., LAPD said. Friday, May 15, adds three more sites — Crenshaw Boulevard and Jefferson Boulevard, Pacific Avenue and 1st Street, and Santa Monica Boulevard and Bronson Avenue — on the same evening schedule. (lapdonline.org) Saturday, May 16, rounds out the list with checkpoints at Topanga Canyon Boulevard and Marylee Street and at Roscoe Boulevard and Coldwater Canyon Avenue, also from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m., according to the department. The seven locations span several of the city’s busiest nightlife and commuter corridors, though LAPD said the sites are subject to change or cancellation. (lapdonline.org) ### What else is LAPD doing besides checkpoints? Monday, May 11, included a DUI saturation patrol in Foothill Division from noon to 8 p.m., according to the release. Tuesday, May 12, included another saturation patrol in Olympic Division from 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday, May 17, will bring a third saturation patrol in Mission Division from noon to 8 p.m., LAPD said. (lapdonline.org) Saturation patrols differ from fixed checkpoints because officers work a broader area looking for suspected impaired drivers rather than stopping cars at a single location. That description is based on LAPD’s scheduling language in the release. ### How does LAPD say it picks these locations? The DUI checkpoint locations are based on data showing incidents of impaired-driving crashes and arrests, LAPD said in the release. The department said the primary purpose is public safety, including educating drivers about impaired driving and removing suspected impaired drivers from the road. (lapdonline.org) LAPD also said impairment is not limited to alcohol. The release says some prescription medications and over-the-counter drugs can interfere with driving, and it says driving under the influence of marijuana remains illegal in California even though medicinal and recreational marijuana are legal. (lapdonline.org) ### What happens if a driver is stopped? LAPD said drivers should expect temporary stops and possible delays at checkpoint sites. The department did not list checkpoint screening procedures in the release, but it said the operations are intended to identify suspected impaired drivers and educate motorists about DUI risks. (lapdonline.org) A first-time DUI charge carries average fines and penalties of about $13,500, along with a suspended license, LAPD said. The department attributed funding for the enforcement program to a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. (lapdonline.org) ### What should drivers watch for through Sunday? Through May 17, LAPD said checkpoint locations may change or be canceled. The department’s May 14 newsroom posting is the public notice for the current schedule, and additional updates would appear through LAPD Online if plans shift. (lapdonline.org)