California Highway Patrol officers are hosting their second DUI checkpoint of the year this weekend, according to an announcement from Josh Greengard, spokesman for the CHP Newhall-area Office.
“The checkpoint will begin at approximately 6:30 p.m. Friday and conclude at approximately 2:30 a.m. Saturday,” Greengard wrote in the release.
The checkpoints are funded through grant dollars allocated to the CHP to curb intoxicated driving, Greengard said.
Some of the dollars go toward overtime for saturation patrols — which are operations that fund the deployment of a higher-than-average number of deputies for a particular time period, focused on specific crimes during that period, such as DUIs — while some of the dollars go to checkpoints.
The grant funding allocated for the Santa Clarita Valley’s office means it’s likely this will be the last checkpoint for the year, Greengard said. However, there could be more saturation patrols.
CHP officers average approximately two DUI arrests per day — about 58 per month, according to Greengard, who added this weekend would also be considered a “maximum enforcement period,” due to the Labor Day holiday.
During a maximum enforcement period, all available officers are out on the roadways for enhanced enforcement efforts and assisting motorists wherever needed, according to CHP officials.
The last checkpoint, held Aug. 16, inspected 400 drivers and resulted in two misdemeanor citations for driving without a license, but no DUI arrests, according to CHP Officer Eric Priessman, a spokesman for the Newhall-area Office.
