DUI Checkpoints Assist California’s Financial Crisis

A recent story published on AlterNet.org describes the economic incentives behind the increasing number of DUI checkpoints in California, particularly in Orange and L.A. County. The federal government provides the California Office of Traffic Safety about $100 million each year to promote responsible driving that reduces roadway deaths. Of that, $30 million goes into programs that fund drunken driving crackdowns, particularly checkpoints.

Cities and private towing operators make tens of millions of dollars a year from checkpoints. This cash mainly comes from towing fees and daily storage charges. An investigation by UC Berkeley has found that vehicle impounds at DUI checkpoints in 2009 generated an estimated $40 million in towing fees and police fines. This money is divided between the cities themselves and the towing companies called to impound vehicles seized (often unlawfully) from an arrestee.

In addition to tens of millions of dollars generated in towing fees and police fines, police officers received an additional $30 million in overtime pay for staffing the DUI checkpoints. Police officer overtime accounts for more than 90 percent of the expense of such checkpoints. Departments do not generally assign officers to work checkpoints during their regular shifts.

In addition, according to guidelines established by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), law enforcement agencies tend to use more officers than a checkpoint requires, thus increasing the unnecessary expenses to the taxpayers. Statewide, police departments on average deployed 18 officers at each checkpoint, according to state data. The federal traffic safety agency advises DUI checkpoints to be staffed with as few as six officers! Police departments are using three times as many officers on average than is suggested or even necessary. The officers that are working overtime (generally ALL of them) are being paid an increased hourly rate. The additional officers at a DUI checkpoint cost state and federal taxpayers an extra $5.5 million in 2008-2009.

With support from groups such as Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), California more than doubled its use of sobriety checkpoints the past three years. In a predictable fashion, State officials have declared that 2010 will be the “year of the checkpoint.” Police are scheduling 2,500 of the operations in every region of California. Don’t be a statistic. Do not shoulder the burden of California’s financial woes. If you are stopped for DUI at a sobriety checkpoint, do not answer any questions and DO NOT PERFORM ANY FIELD SOBRIETY TESTS!!! (See “Stopped for DUI? Just say “NO” to Field Sobriety Tests” part I and II at http://hblawyers.net/2009/02/tgabeh/stopped-for-dui-say-no-to-field-sobriety-tests-part-i/ )

If you have been arrested for Driving Under the Influence in Newport Beach, Huntington Beach, Santa Ana, or anywhere in Orange County, you need the assistance of competent DUI defense attorneys working to ensure your rights are protected and that you receive your constitutional due process. The criminal defense lawyers at Houston Law of California can assist with your DUI charges, possibly getting them reduced or dismissed, and handle any other criminal accusations against you. Call TODAY! Do NOT WAIT! Call the criminal defense attorneys of Houston Law of California at 714.841.3921 or email at info@HBLawyers.net .