Seven arrests made during weekend checkpoint in La Quinta

Riverside County Sheriff’s Deputies assigned to La Quinta made seven arrests during a DUI/Driver’s License checkpoint conducted on February 8.

One DUI arrest was made, two arrests were for other criminal charges, and eight drivers were either cited or arrested for driving without a license or driving with a suspended or revoked license. Twenty citations were issued and four vehicles were towed during the checkpoint.

The checkpoint, which was located on Washington Street south of Avenue 47, lasted from 7:00 p.m. to 3:00 a.m. All told, deputies screened 1311 vehicles. The checkpoint location was selected based on DUI arrest and crash statistics locally.

“La Quinta Police Department will be conducting another DUI/Driver’s License Checkpoint and DUI Saturation Patrol in the near future in our ongoing commitment to take suspected impaired drivers off our streets and highways, ultimately lowering the risk for deaths and injuries,” read the news release on the checkpoint.

According to the release, the estimated financial impact of a DUI arrest totals out to $13,500.

The checkpoint was funded thanks to a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Safety Administration.