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On Friday, Sept. 2, the Long Beach Police Department’s (LBPD) Traffic Division conducted a DUI saturation patrol throughout the city of Long Beach, from 6pm Friday to 2am Saturday. During the eight-hour operation, eight additional police officers patrolled the city looking for impaired drivers and produced the following statistics:
• five DUI arrests
• one unlicensed/suspended license citation issued
• four vehicles impounded
• 38 miscellaneous traffic citations issued
DUI saturation patrols are a vital component in the fight against drivers under the influence, according to a press release issued by the LBPD. Nationally, impaired driving caused by alcohol or drugs causes one death every 30 minutes and one injury every two minutes. DUI saturation patrols have been proven to reduce impaired-driving-related collisions by removing these drivers from the streets.
Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Safety Administration. “When more people drive sober and safely, lives are saved,” said Christopher J. Murphy, director of the Office of Traffic Safety. “It’s just that simple. This grant will help make Long Beach just that much safer of a place to work and live.”
