Palm Desert Police Plan to Staff Four DUI Patrols, Operations in Coming Weeks

Law enforcement agencies in Riverside County will host a series of DUI/driver's license checkpoints and patrols throughout the next couple weeks, as part of a national "crackdown" aimed at reducing drunk driving fatalities, police said.

"This nationwide crackdown will include high-visibility enforcement, high-profile events, and will be supported by national paid advertising to create a comprehensive campaign to curb impaired driving in August and through the Labor Day holiday weekend," Riverside Police Lt. Mark Rossi, who heads up the Avoid the 30 task force, announced.


In Pam Desert, there are four upcoming operations planned, according to Avoid the 30 representatives.  But those are just a handful of dozens of similar events, which begin Aug. 16 and continue through Sept. 2.

"Plans are in place for twenty-four DUI/driver’s license checkpoints, four multi-agency task force operations, forty-one local roving DUI saturation patrols, and two DUI warrant/probation sweeps," Rossi said."

In Palm Desert, the first operation is planned for this Friday, Aug. 16 in the form of a DUI checkpoint.  Another one is scheduled for the very next night.

Then, on Augt. 23, a "multi agency task force operation" will be held on August 16 in conjunction with Cathedral City, Desert Hot Springs, Indian Wells, Palm Springs, Rancho Mirage and State Parks police officials.  In order to "effect a coordinated effort" in the region, all seven agencies will have a dedicated DUI patrol going that night, according to Avoid the 30 representatives. 

Palm Desert will hold a DUI saturation patrol on Saturday, August 24.  Those operations consist of deploying extra officers whose primary responsibility that night entails looking out for possible drunk or drugged drivers.

Named for the number of local law enforcement agencies that take part in the task force, funding for Avoid the 30 comes from state and federal grants.

“Every year, about one third of all motor vehicle traffic deaths involve one or more drunk drivers or motorcycle operators,” said  Rossi. “In 2011, 9,878 people died in crashes involving drunk drivers. That works out toapproximately one drunk driving fatality every 53 minutes. In California, 774 died due to the crime of impaired driving.”

Rossi said that long weekends, such as Labor Day, are particularly dangerous.  In 2011, there were 11 traffic deaths in California which involved a DUI driver, he said.