Lake Elsinore Police Plan Two DUI Saturation Patrols Memorial Day Weekend

Law enforcement agencies throughout Riverside County will be ramping up patrols to catch drunken drivers, speeders and other scofflaws during Memorial Day weekend, it was announced Wednesday.

The county's Avoid the 30 task force -- named for the number of area police agencies involved -- is planning saturation patrols and sobriety checkpoints beginning 6 p.m. Friday and wrapping up shortly after midnight Tuesday.

The effort will coincide with the California Highway Patrol's Memorial Day weekend "Maximum Enforcement Period," during which all available officers are deployed to crack down on intoxicated motorists, distracted drivers and other traffic violators.

During the 2013 Memorial Day weekend Avoid campaign, 205 people were arrested on suspicion of drunken or drug-impaired driving in Riverside County, compared to 230 the year before.

Driver's license checkpoints and concentrated patrols are planned this weekend in Blythe, Coachella, Corona, Indian Wells, La Quinta, Lake Elsinore, Moreno Valley, Palm Springs, Perris, Riverside, San Jacinto and Temecula.

Authorities offered the following tips for residents planning to host get-togethers where alcohol will be served:

• Ensure guests who choose to imbibe have a designated driver or can arrange for ride-sharing
• Serve plenty of food and non-alcoholic beverages
• Limit drinks to one or two over several hours per person
• Take the keys away from an individual showing obvious signs of drunkenness and call them a cab if necessary

Here's the full schedule of Memorial Day Weekend checkpoints and patrols:

• FRIDAY, May 23:
  Riverside Police Department: 6:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m.
  
  
• SATURDAY, May 24:
  Blythe Police Department: 6:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m.
  Indian Wells Police Department: 7:00 p.m. to 3:00 a.m.
  San Jacinto Police Department: 7:00 p.m. to 3:00 a.m.
  California Highway Patrol

• FRIDAY, May 23:
  Blythe Police Department
  Coachella Police Department
  Lake Elsinore Police Department
  Moreno Valley Police Department
  Riverside Police Department
  Temecula Police Department
  
  
• SATURDAY, May 24:
  Perris Police Department
  State Parks Lake Perris
  Corona Police Department
  Lake Elsinore Police Department
  Riverside Community College (RCC)
  La Quinta Police Department
  
  
• SUNDAY, May 25:
  Palm Springs Police Department
  State Parks San Jacinto Police Department