Officers from the Hemet Police Department will be conducting a DUI/Driver’s License Checkpoints at an undisclosed location sometime during the last weekend in March 2012. The purpose of the checkpoint is to promote public safety by increasing awareness of the dangers associated with drinking and driving, drug impaired driving, 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. The Hemet Police Department received the grant in November of 2011. Hemet Officers have conducted 20 DUI saturation patrols and 4 DUI checkpoints, all funded by the grant. Since November, there have 12 persons arrested when attempting to pass through checkpoints and an additional 21 arrested during saturation patrols. In addition, Hemet police officers arrested 86 persons for suspicion of driving while impaired. Of the 86 total arrests, 26 persons were arrested on suspicion of driving while impaired, after being involved in injury traffic collisions. Hemet police 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.