As San Diego’s early St. Patrick’s Day crowds started spilling out of bars yesterday, police were already waiting. The San Diego Police Department rolled out a DUI checkpoint, stopping cars, screening drivers, and hammering home one simple theme: if you have been drinking, find a different way home. The operation was framed as a move to keep impaired drivers off the road and reduce crashes.
In a short video posted to the department’s Facebook page, officers can be seen working the checkpoint while the department reminds followers that the whole point is to prevent impaired driving and help people “drive sober and get home safe.” The post also nudges anyone planning a night out to line up a rideshare, call a taxi or lock in a designated driver ahead of time, according to the San Diego Police Department.
Checkpoint Part of Routine, Grant-Funded Enforcement
The department’s Traffic Division regularly runs DUI and driver-license checkpoints around big party weekends and holidays. Locations are chosen using past data on DUI crashes and arrests, and officials stress that the main goal is deterrence, not surprise, according to a City of San Diego press release. The same document notes that checkpoint operations are paid for with a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety.
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