Crime & Safety

Sheriff's Dept. Gets Grant for DUI Checkpoints

The California Office of Traffic Safety awarded $300,000 for the effort.

The San Diego County Sheriff’s Department will launch a yearlong effort to crackdown on drunk driving thanks to a $300,000 grant it received from the California Office of Traffic Safety. 

Deputies will focus their energy on the cities they serve: Del Mar, Encinitas, Imperial Beach, Lemon Grove, Poway, San Marcos, Santee, Solana Beach and Vista. 

According to a news release sent out by San Diego County Sheriff’s Department, DUI/driver license checkpoints are a key component of the grant and aim to ‘deter impaired driving, not to increase arrests.’ Several checkpoints are scheduled throughout the holiday season, and you can find a list of them at the bottom of this story.

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The grant money will also be used for ‘roving DUI saturation patrols, warrant searches and stakeouts for repeat DUI offenders, along with court stings targeting DUI offenders with suspended or revoked driver licenses who drive while attending court hearings or court-mandated programs.’

The grant will also pay for training that aims to help deputies detect impaired drivers under the influence of legal and illegal drugs. 

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“This holiday season, please think before you drink. Designate a sober driver and remember if you drink and drive, we will catch you,” said Sheriff Bill Gore in the news release.

The San Diego County Sheriff's Department will deploy deputies to conduct DUI/driver license checkpoints in the following cities:

  • Dec. 9: Imperial Beach
  • Dec. 10: Encinitas
  • Dec. 16: Vista
  • Dec. 16: Lemon Grove
  • Dec. 17: Santee
  • Dec. 17: San Marcos 

All checkpoints listed above will begin at about 7 p.m. and run to approximately 2 a.m. 


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