Police Crack Down On July 4th Partiers
Law enforcement agencies throughout Riverside County will be ramping up patrols and deploying checkpoints to catch drunken or drug- impaired drivers starting tonight as part of a Fourth of July holiday weekend crackdown.
The Avoid the 30 campaign — named for the number of police agencies that operate in the county — is planning saturation patrols and sobriety checkpoints through Monday night.
During last year’s crackdown, 172 people were arrested in Riverside County on suspicion of impaired driving.
“Driving drunk isn’t worth the tremendous risk,” said Riverside police Capt. John Wallace. “No matter your age, if you’ve had too much holiday spirit, you’d better find a safe and sober ride home or your chances of arrest are high.”
According to the California Highway Patrol, two dozen people died and 363 people were injured in alcohol-related collisions statewide during last year’s July 4th holiday period.
“The CHP wants your holiday memories to be happy ones,” said CHP Commissioner Joe Farrow. “Please be sure to take a few simple precautions to ensure that your friends and family have a safe Fourth of July.”
The CHP will be in a “maximum enforcement period” for the duration of the holiday weekend, coinciding with the Avoid campaign. During an MEP, 80 percent of the agency’s officers hit the streets to cite or arrest unsafe motorists.
DUI checkpoints are planned in Hemet, Murrieta and Indian Wells, according to Karen Haverkamp, Avoid coordinator and Riverside police traffic bureau supervisor.
She said saturation patrols will be conducted from Friday to Monday in Blythe, Corona, Desert Hot Springs, Indian Wells, Indio, La Quinta, Lake Elsinore, Moreno Valley, Norco, Perris, Riverside and Temecula.
