Vallejo police to run DUI checkpoint on Friday
(Stock image; Graphic by Solano NewsNet)
The Vallejo Police Department says it will carry out a sobriety and driver’s license checkpoint on Friday.
The location of the checkpoint was not disclosed in a press release sent on Monday, but the agency said it was selected based on crash and DUI arrest statistics.
“Officers will be looking for signs of alcohol and/or drug impairment, and will also be checking to ensure drivers have the proper licensing,” the police department said.
The checkpoint will be operated through funds that were provided to the City of Vallejo by the California Office of Traffic Safety, a division of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Local law enforcement agencies are sometimes criticized on social media for providing advance notice of DUI checkpoints, but police say that type of notification has proven effective in deterring would-be drunk drivers and those who drive under the influence of other substances like marijuana.
Those agencies cite statistics gathered by state and federal offices that purport to show a decline in arrests and crashes when sobriety checkpoints are conducted, with advance notification given to the public before they are carried out.
In at least one DUI case, the California Court of Appeals reversed a woman’s DUI conviction after finding the arresting police department did not provide advance notice of a sobriety checkpoint. Appellate judges found that the lack of notice violated the woman’s constitutional rights.
Drivers who are arrested and convicted of a DUI offense can pay fines in the thousands of dollars, have their driving privileges revoked, and spend time in county jail.
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