Police Ramp Up Patrols In Santa Cruz; DUI Checkpoint Planned

SANTA CRUZ, CA — Notice extra Santa Cruz police officers pounding the pavement? Police are ramping up patrols through Labor Day weekend, the Santa Cruz Police Department announced this week.

Additionally, police will hold a DUI checkpoint from 10 p.m. Friday to 2 a.m. Saturday in the Ocean Street corridor, the department said in a statement.

Officers will be looking in the days to come for intoxicated drivers and urge people to buckle up, avoid distractions and follow the speed limit.

"Driving impaired is risky and puts yourself and others around you in serious danger," said Santa Cruz Police Sgt. Mike Hedley in a statement. "If you are taking a road trip over the next few weeks, make good choices and drive like your closest friends and family are in the cars around you."

Forty-five people died in California car crashes during the 2019 Labor Day holiday, police said in a statement. The California Highway Patrol arrested more than 1,000 people on suspicion of driving under the influence that weekend.

Police remind drivers to call 911 if they spot an impaired driver and refrain from cannabis and over-the-counter medications that can inhibit the ability to safely drive.