A Costa Mesa DUI checkpoint this weekend resulted in three DUI arrests. More vehicles were impounded then drivers arrested for DUI at the Costa Mesa DUI checkpoint.
A total of 318 vehicles were screened as they passed through the Costa Mesa DUI checkpoint which was conducted on Friday night at the intersection of Baker and Bear streets. The official tally is as follows:
- three drivers arrested for DUI
- six vehicles impounded
- nine citations issued
According to Costa Mesa Police Sgt. David Makiyama, this weekends Costa Mesa DUI checkpoint is “one of many that have been or will be conducted throughout the year in the city of Costa Mesa. The goal of the DUI checkpoint was removing impaired drivers and to bring awareness to the public of the dangers of driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol.”
The DUI checkpoint has come under recent scrutiny regarding its effectiveness is taking DUI drivers off the streets. A recent investigation conducted by the Investigative Reporting Program at UC Berkeley with California Watch suggests that DUI checkpoints are not about DUIs.
The research seems to suggest that DUI checkpoints are really about making money for local police departments and their officers by impounding vehicles. In 2009, DUI checkpoints generated approximately $40 million revenue in the form of towing fees and police fines and $30 million in overtime pay for the officers who worked them.
The results of this weekends Costa Mesa DUI checkpoint support this research resulting in twice as many vehicle impounds then actual DUI arrests.
Source: The Daily Pilot
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