UPDATE
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A Sacramento Police Department DUI checkpoint resulted in one arrest and dozens of citations after officers screened more than 300 vehicles Friday night.
According to Officer Anthony Gamble, a Sacramento Police Department public information officer, 324 vehicles were screened during the operation.
Officers conducted 57 driver's license checks and issued 34 citations to drivers who were unlicensed or had suspended licenses, Gamble said.
Police also made one arrest for suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol.
The checkpoint began at 8 p.m. Friday and was scheduled to continue until 1 a.m. Saturday at an undisclosed location within the city. Sacramento police previously said checkpoint locations are selected based on data identifying areas with impaired-driving-related crashes.
The operation was funded by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
ORIGINAL STORY
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The Sacramento Police Department will conduct a DUI checkpoint Friday night at an undisclosed location within the city of Sacramento.
The checkpoint is scheduled to operate from 8 p.m. Friday until 1 a.m. Saturday, according to a department media release. Police said checkpoint locations are selected using data identifying areas where impaired-driving crashes have occurred.
The department said the primary purpose of the operation is to improve public safety by identifying and removing suspected impaired drivers from the road.
“Impaired drivers put others on the road at significant risk,” Sgt. Anna Mahoney said. “Any prevention measures that reduce the number of impaired drivers on our roads significantly improve traffic safety.”
Police also reminded drivers that impairment is not limited to alcohol. Prescription medications and over-the-counter drugs can interfere with a person's ability to drive safely. Although medicinal and recreational marijuana are legal in California, driving while impaired by marijuana remains illegal.
According to the department, a driver charged with a first-time DUI faces an average of $13,500 in fines and penalties, along with a suspended driver's license.
Funding for the checkpoint was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
