One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
DUI Checkpoints for Memorial Day Weekend
Photo by Andy Dean Photography via Shutterstock
If you're going out this weekend to drink, don't drive. There are several no-good, very-bad possible consequences, and one of them could be running into a DUI checkpoint or the saturation patrols that will be out in full force this Memorial Day weekend.
The California Highway will begin its "maximum enforcement period" all across the state starting at 6 pm tonight until the stroke of midnight on Monday, according to City News Service. The Los Angeles Police Department's Olympic Station got a head-start last night at 6 pm.
FRIDAY NIGHT
A checkpoint will be operating on Vermont Avenue between Pico Boulevard and 12th Street in the Pico-Union district starting at 7 pm tonight until 3 am tomorrow.
Another checkpoint will be operating on Manchester Avenue between Hoover and Figueroa streets in South Los Angeles starting at about 8 p.m. tonight.
SATURDAY NIGHT
A checkpoint will be operating at Sherman Way between Sepulveda Boulevard and Orion Avenue in North Hollywood Van Nuys beginning at 8 pm.
Sponsored message
SUNDAY NIGHT
Officers assigned to the Hollenbeck Station will begin a saturation
patrol on the city's Eastside about 8 p.m. Sunday.
Now before you get up on your high horse and lecture us about how we're promoting drunk driving, check out this interview that we did with LAPD Chief Beck back in 2010. He told LAist, "People having foresight aren't the ones who are committing this crime. People who are thinking ahead aren't the ones that this checkpoint is likely to catch. I think that the publicity surrounding these things is so important that if you give a couple of locations, that's fine." The state claims that well-publicized DUI checkpoints can actually cut down on drunk-driving 20 percent.
And yes, we do know there's a dark side to these random checks. At least in Los Angeles, unlicensed drivers caught at the checkpoints will be allowed to hand the keys over to a licensed driver or pick up their car at an impound lot the next day.
One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
