Law enforcement teams will be out in force this Saturday night watching for drunk drivers and more. The CHP, Seal Beach Police Department, SBPD, the Los Alamitos Police Department, LAPD, and the Orange County Sherriff Department, OCSD, will all participate in DUI enforcement. In West Orange County alone, there will be two checkpoints on PCH.

SBPD will man a checkpoint from 7:00 PM Saturday night, until 3:00 am Sunday morning, on Southbound PCH at First Street. About 3 or 4 miles to the South, the CHP will intercept any Northbound PCH traffic at Andersen in Sunset Beach. The CHP checkpoint, which will be staffed by 7 officers, will operate during the same hours.

According to Sergeant Steve Bowles, SBPD, it is a coincidence that both agencies are planning checkpoints at the same time on PCH. The CHP and SBPD did not coordinate these two operations, but Bowls said SBPD decided to set up their checkpoint Southbound at First because it is a safe area to operate and is several miles from the CHP checkpoint on the northbound traffic.

According to Captain McAlpine of the LAPD, Los Alamitos will help staff the Seal Beach checkpoint, but will not operate their own. “They requested some help from us and we are going to utilize our motor officer to assist them with their checkpoint.”

OCSD will conduct DUI roving patrols in the cities of Aliso Viejo, Laguna Niguel, Laguna Hills and Laguna Woods tonight, February 12, 2010. These Multi-City DUI teams will target areas that have a high incidence of DUI-related arrests and collisions.

SBPD’s St. Bowls told www.OC180NEWS.com these DUI checkpoints are designed to apprehend drunk drivers, but also to call public attention to the dangers of driving under the influence. The SBPD does not attempt to conceal the time and locations of the checkpoints because they want to call attention to the issues. Caltrans requires warning signs of lane closures well ahead of any checkpoint and law enforcement authorities are required to publicize them in advance.

SBPD last operated a checkpoint on New Years Eve. Bowls said they can get as many as 9 or 10 drunk driving arrests at a typical checkpoint, but none were arrested on New Years Eve. They also check drivers licenses at these checkpoints and four people were taken into custody on outstanding warrants at the last checkpoint