Crime & Safety

460 Arrests So Far in Countywide Anti-DUI Campaign

The campaign lasted for about two weeks.

More than 460 people were arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs in an anti-DUI crackdown that began almost two weeks ago, authorities said Thursday.

The Riverside County Avoid the 30 task force—named for the number of participating agencies—initiated its end-of-year campaign on Dec. 14. Between then and Wednesday night, 466 people were arrested for alleged impaired driving, according to Riverside police Sgt. Skip Showalter, the task force coordinator.

Over the same period during the 2011 end-of-year campaign, 474 motorists were arrested, he said.

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According to Showalter, no DUI-related fatalities were reported over the past 10 days.

Comparatively, by this time in the 2011 campaign, five people had died in alcohol-fueled crashes.

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In the coming week, agencies countywide will be staffing sobriety checkpoints, as well as conducting saturation patrols, targeting motorists who may be under the influence.

Checkpoints are planned in Eastvale, Indian Wells, La Quinta, Moreno Valley, Palm Desert, Palm Springs and San Jacinto, while saturation patrols are scheduled in Banning, Beaumont, Blythe, Coachella, Desert Hot Springs, La Quinta, Murrieta and Riverside.

During last year's Avoid the 30 two-week crackdown, 682 people were arrested on suspicion of DUI.

This year's effort, part of the national "Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over" campaign, will conclude on New Year's Day.

The CHP's "maximum enforcement period"—when all available officers hit the streets to nab traffic violators—will coincide with Avoid operations over the coming New Year's holiday weekend.

-City News Service


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