A state grant helped East County law enforcement officials to get at least 10 suspected drunken drivers off the streets during December, officials said.
Additionally, deputies in Lemon Grove and Santee, and police from La Mesa and El Cajon arrested five motorists on drug possession charges during December. The officers cited 107 drivers and impounded 38 vehicles during December on violations of the state vehicle code.
State grants of more than $300,000 paid for the checkpoints and roving sweeps that netted the drunken drivers, authorities said. About $265,000 of that money remains and will be used for future checkpoints, police officers and deputies said.
December's checkpoints were relatively peaceful, unlike a Lemon Grove checkpoint in September in which a motorist crashed into a patrol car and deputies fired shots at another motorist who attempted to run them down, the Sheriff's Department said.
“It was pretty quiet, thank God!” said Sgt. Peggy Frailey about the most recent checkpoint Dec. 28 in Lemon Grove. Like the September checkpoint, it was set up on Broadway, east of North Avenue. It started at 7:30 p.m.
Deputies screened 872 vehicles, ordered 66 to a secondary inspection, gave field sobriety tests to seven motorists, and arrested four on suspicion of drunken driving. Twenty-one motorists were cited for vehicle code violations – mostly for not having valid licenses, Frailey said. Nineteen vehicles were impounded.
The checkpoint, opened for 6½
hours, cost $7,100. That amount included staffing and report-writing time for 15 deputies, two community service officers and two clerks. Deputies are planning at least three more checkpoints this year with remaining state funds, probably in April or May, July and during the Labor Day holiday in September.
East County checkpoints
by the numbers
Law enforcement officials held five checkpoints and roving patrols in December, with these results:
10: Drunken-driving arrests
107: Citations
Impounds
4: Cities involved – Lemon Grove, Santee, La Mesa, El Cajon
$35,000: Approximate cost, paid by state Office of Traffic Safety
SOURCES: San Diego Sheriff's Department, El Cajon & La Mesa police departments
|
|
Another checkpoint was set up in Santee from 9 p.m. Dec. 28 to 2 a.m. Dec. 29. Deputies screened 559 vehicles and arrested one suspected drunken driver, said Sgt. Dylan Palmer. They also arrested a motorist on drug charges, impounded three cars and issued 43 citations for vehicle code violations.
Santee deputies also conducted a six-hour roving sweep for drunken drivers starting at 6 p.m. Dec. 14. They arrested two motorists on suspicion of drunken driving and one on drug charges. During such a sweep, six or more officers spread out in a community and focus on finding motorists who are driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
On Dec. 29, El Cajon police stopped 24 vehicles during an eight-hour roving sweep for drunken drivers. Two were arrested on drunken-driving charges and one on drug possession charges. They also impounded four vehicles and issued 20 citations for vehicle code violations. The department plans several more drunken-driving checkpoints this year with roughly $250,000 left from a $580,000 grant. Also on Dec. 29, La Mesa police mounted a drunken-driving checkpoint on Massachusetts Avenue, near Pearson Street. They screened 582 vehicles, from 7 p.m. to 1 a.m., arrested one motorist on suspicion of drunken driving and impounded a dozen cars. They also cited 23 motorists for vehicle code violations.
Mark Arner: (619) 542-4556; mark.arner@uniontrib.com
