Stepped up enforcement efforts in Ventura County mean more DUI arrests

June 15, 2013 (Press-News.org) Stepped up enforcement efforts in Ventura County mean more DUI arrests

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Many law enforcement authorities view the summer holiday season as a time when a higher proportion of motorists drive drunk. As such, more patrols are on the road, and the government loosens the purse strings to fund more DUI checkpoints.

In Ventura County, Memorial Day weekend marks the unofficial start of "DUI season." In some of the first drunk driving checkpoints of the summer, a number of suspects have already been arrested for DUI.

Grants funding heavy law enforcement presence throughout summer of 2013

Government grants are one of the primary ways law enforcement organizations garner the resources to fund summer DUI crackdowns. For instance, the Ventura County Sheriff's Office conducted a drunk driving checkpoint in Thousand Oaks over the Saturday and Sunday of Memorial Day weekend in which 349 drivers were stopped and checked for sobriety. The California Office of Traffic Safety paid for the sobriety checkpoint by designating grant funds from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. In total, the Thousand Oaks checkpoint netted three arrests.

Whether the perception is accurate or not, the police see summer as a time of increased leisure activity, which in their view translates into more drinking and thus more drivers getting behind the wheel impaired. Summer enforcement efforts are well-funded both at the state and federal level.

"[W]e typically see more instances of DUI activity [in the summer season]," Sergeant Randy Latimer of the Oxnard Police Department told the Ventura County Star in May. "We're going to be out there looking..." he added.

In addition to the Oxnard Police Department, other local law enforcement agencies, including those in Camarillo, Moorpark and Simi Valley, have pledged to make a show of force in terms of DUI patrols this summer. The California Highway Patrol has also targeted Ventura County for stepped-up enforcement in 2013, citing in part the area's reputation as a great place for recreational motorcycling.

Defend yourself against drunk driving charges by calling a Ventura County attorney

With increased DUI patrols and an influx of sobriety checkpoints, more Ventura County motorists can expect to be tagged with a drunk driving charge. While holidays like Memorial Day and the Fourth of July mark high points of law enforcement saturation on the county's roads, an increased police presence during the whole summer means you are more likely to see blue lights in your rearview mirror throughout the entire season.

Many Ventura County residents have already been arrested for drunk driving in 2013; if you are one of them, you need a strong legal defense. Talk to a Ventura DUI lawyer today to begin building your case.