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Mothers
Against Drunk Driving |
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Sobriety Checkpoints in Orange CountyThe effectiveness of sobriety checkpoints has been proven innumerable times around the world. The "wake up" value is enormous and even when the number of DUI arrests is small. The word-of-mouth publicity is priceless.
Laguna Beach and, soon to start Huntington Beach, have overcome the checkpoint expense challenge through obtaining grants. The grant route is enabling the Orange County Sheriff's Department to hold 22 roving checkpoints that would have otherwise been extremely difficult to manage. The preventative value of consistency in the use of checkpoints in individual cities is also obvious when we look at the examples of long-time utilizers such as Costa Mesa and Garden Grove. A city can do far worse than getting a reputation as a "checkpoint city." As we have always said, "The more people think they are going to get caught, the less they will drink and drive." Even when the realities of budget and personnel make sobriety checkpoints infrequent, they can act as a sudden, unexpected reminder to those who may have become complacent about driving impaired. Orange, Irvine, Santa Ana and Tustin periodically remind those who drive through their cities that law enforcement is indeed watching. Irvine and Laguna Beach's decisions to have a Tuesday night checkpoint once in a while certainly adds to the uncertainty. Over the years, every once in a while, a conversation will start about the possibility of even greater county-cooperation. The possibility of a grant-funded roving checkpoint team, moving from city to city throughout the county, is about to become a reality thanks to the efforts of Santa Ana's leadership. To encourage the use of sobriety checkpoints, MADD Orange County started its "Checkpointer" program a few years ago. Many of these volunteers are now experienced checkpoint veterans who can be very effective adjuncts to the sworn personnel working in the street. In addition, their MADD baseball caps, etc. announce to those driving through that the community is involved in the checkpoint. As you can see, Orange County believes in sobriety checkpoints. They have worked hand-in- hand with DUI teams, roving patrols and dedicated, focused individual officers to bring yet another year of reduced victimization by impaired drivers. This page is http://www.maddorangecounty.org/checkpoint.htm Page updated: August 13, 2005 |
At
MADD Orange County, we have come to realize the unique value of
"unpredictable" sobriety checkpoints. Examples include the
regional cooperation of Fullerton, La Habra and Brea with
the periodic assistance of Cal State Fullerton.
Impaired drivers cannot choose to avoid driving in a given city in order
to avoid its checkpoints if the checkpoints can show up in any city
unpredictably. As Cypress, Seal Beach and Los
Alamitos have also proven in their regional efforts, the expense
and manpower challenges of checkpoints can be handled through such
cooperation. The periodic participation of the California Highway
Patrol has always been highly effective in the past and is
eagerly anticipated in the future.