Officers from the Hemet Police Department will be conducting a DUI/Driver’s License Checkpoint Friday night, February 24, 2012 at an undisclosed location. The purpose of the checkpoint is to promote public safety; increase awareness of the dangers associated with drinking and driving, as well as drug impaired and unlicensed drivers. Checkpoints are routinely designed and set up in areas that have had an influx of DUI related collisions, arrests or calls for service.
If you are a motorist and happen to enter a DUI/Driver’s license checkpoint please proceed with caution. There will be advanced warning signs or devices to warn motorists to slow down and to have their driver’s license ready to present to an officer. Officers make every attempt to keep the flow of traffic moving and to keep motorists from being unreasonably delayed. If you happen to enter a checkpoint, do not make attempts to turn out from within the cone pattern. This is not only illegal, but can be dangerous and cause a traffic collision.
Funding for the checkpoint will be provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Hemet Police received the grant in Nov. of 2011. Hemet Officers conducted 14 DUI saturation patrols and 3 DUI checkpoints, all funded by the grant. Since November, there were 9 persons arrested for DUI during saturation patrols and 2 arrested when attempting to pass through the checkpoint. In addition, Hemet Patrol officers arrested an additional 41 persons for suspicion of driving impaired. Out of the 52 total arrests, 19 persons were arrested on suspicion of driving impaired, after being involved in traffic collisions. Hemet officers continue the campaign against DUI drivers and encourage the public to CALL -911 if you see a suspected DUI driver.
MEDIA NOTES: To schedule an interview regarding the Hemet Police DUI Enforcement Program, please contact Cpl. Frank Pitetti at 951-765-2400, ext 3725 or via email at fpitetti@cityofheme.org. To schedule an interview regarding impaired driving efforts and programs in California please contact Chris Cochran, California Office of Traffic Safety at (916) 509-3063 or via email at chris.cochran@ots.ca.gov.