DUI Checkpoint Nets 8 Arrests

Eight drivers were arrested and a total of 26 citations were issued over the weekend when the Colton Police Department Traffic Unit conducted a DUI/Drivers License checkpoint on Aug. 28. The detail, conducted at the intersection of Mt. Vernon and Cooley Drive between the hours of 9 p.m. and 3 a.m. Friday through Saturday morning, saw 300 vehicles screened. Colton police in a news release said, "Checkpoints are placed in locations that have the greatest opportunity for achieving drunk and drugged driving deterrence and provide the greatest safety for officers and the public." Eight people were arrested in the checkpoint, including two arrested on suspicion of driving while under the influence of alcohol, one suspect arrested for obstructing an officer, and five arrested on outstanding warrants. According to Colton Police, "DUI/Drivers License checkpoints have been shown to lower DUI deaths and injuries. A major component of these checkpoints are the deterrent effects it has on those who might drive drunk or drugged impaired, bringing about more awareness and encouraging everyone to use sober designated drivers." According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), checkpoints have provided the most effective documented results of any of the DUI enforcement strategies, while also yielding considerable cost savings of $6 for every $1 spent. Ninety percent of California drivers approve of checkpoints. Additionally, 13 citations were issued to drivers driving without a license and six were cited for driving on a suspended license. Colton police will be conducting DUI saturation patrols in the upcoming weeks in the department's "ongoing commitment to lowering deaths and injuries upon our streets and highways," they said. The checkpoint was funded by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.