Jeri Williams Chief of Police |
Oxnard Police Department
R. Jason Benites Scott Whitney |
OXNARD POLICE DEPARTMENT
NEWS RELEASE
INCIDENT: | DUI/Driver’s License Checkpoint |
DATE/TIME: | Saturday, March 15, 2014 8:00 P.M. to 3:00 A.M. |
LOCATION: | Eastbound Lanes of Channel Islands Blvd near Rose Avenue |
PREPARED BY: |
Derek Miller, Traffic Officer (805) 385-7600 derek.miller@oxnardpd.org |
CONTACT PERSON & CONTACT INFO: |
Jamie Brown, Traffic Coordinator (805) 385-7749 jamie.brown@oxnardpd.org |
DETAILS:
On March 15, 2014, between the hours of 8:00 P.M. and 2:00 A.M., officers from the Oxnard Police Department conducted a DUI/Driver’s license checkpoint in the City of Oxnard. The checkpoint was conducted in the eastbound lanes of Channel Islands Blvd near Rose Avenue.
Officers screened 474 motorists who passed through the checkpoint and conducted four DUI investigations on drivers who had been drinking alcohol and/or using drugs while driving. Two of these drivers were arrested for violations of misdemeanor DUI. One additional driver was arrested for an outstanding felony warrant and was later found to be in possession of methamphetamine. His passenger was arrested for an outstanding misdemeanor warrant. A passenger in one of the vehicles being driven by an impaired driver was arrested for being under the influence of a controlled substance.
Citations were issued to 22 drivers for various vehicle code violations. One driver was issued a citation for driving with a suspended driver’s license while 13 drivers were issued citations for driving without a valid driver’s license. Four vehicles were towed from the checkpoints.
Through strategic efforts involving enforcement, engineering and educational programs, the Oxnard Police Department has made significant progress with reducing the number of collisions in the City of Oxnard. In 2008, there were 2,593 collisions in the city. Last year experienced a 41 percent reduction with 1,519 collisions. In 2013, over 500 drivers were also arrested for DUI in Oxnard.
Each year, the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) uses collision data gathered from cities throughout California and ranks them according to their population size. The City of Oxnard is among 55 cities placed in a group where the population is between 100,001 to 250,000. Collision statistics gathered by OTS include total fatalities and injuries, alcohol involved by age, motorcycles, pedestrians by age and bicyclists. Over the past several years, the City of Oxnard consistently ranked among the top five of the “worst” on this list. Our dedicated efforts towards collision reduction have resulted in a 2011 OTS ranking of 17 on the same list.
The Oxnard Police Department will continue to conduct DUI enforcement operations this year. These operations are an effort to reduce the number of alcohol related crashes and to make our roadways and community safer. We also remind people that if they see an impaired driver to dial 911. These DUI enforcement operations are funded by grants from the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) and through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
For any questions related to DUI and traffic enforcement, please contact Senior Officer Jamie Brown at (805) 385-7749 or via e-mail at jamie.brown@oxnardpd.org.