Police prepare for long holiday weekend with DUI checkpoints

Police and sheriff’s deputies will be checking for drunken drivers and those without valid licenses at checkpoints in Indio and La Quinta at the start of the long Labor Day weekend.

Indio police will screen drivers at an undisclosed location from about 8 p.m. Friday until 2 a.m. Saturday, and Riverside County sheriff’s deputies in La Quinta will have a similar operation from about 7 p.m. Friday until 3 a.m. Saturday.

“The end of summer and Labor Day weekend is traditionally a time to have fun,” sheriff’s Cpl. Don Olson said. “Don’t let it turn into a time of tragedy or jail visit by driving impaired by alcohol or drugs. We will be out looking for those drivers making that unwise and dangerous choice.”

Both checkpoints are paid for by federal highway administration grants administered by the state Office of Traffic Safety.