DUI Checkpoint To Be Held In Long Beach This Week

LONG BEACH, CA — Long Beach police will hold a DUI checkpoint Friday, May 16 to deter drunk and impaired drivers, the department announced Tuesday.

The checkpoint will be held from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. somewhere in the department's South Patrol Division, which covers Downtown Long Beach, in addition to most of the area of Anaheim Street to Harbor Drive and the Los Angeles River to Cherry Avenue.

The locations of these checkpoints are determined based on data collected by the LBPD that reveals where in the city crashes involving drunk or impaired drivers are most common.

“Impaired drivers put others on the road at significant risk,” Commander Jeremy Boshnack said. “Any prevention measures that reduce the number of impaired drivers on our roads significantly improve traffic safety.”

The department added that aside from drunk drivers, officers will be looking for anyone who may be operating their vehicle while under the influence of marijuana, prescription medication and over-the-counter drugs.

According to the LBPD, drivers convicted of operating a vehicle while under the influence may face fines and penalties upward of thousands of dollars, in addition to having their license suspended.

The funding for the LBPD to hold these checkpoints comes from a grant provided by the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, according to authorities.