Police aim to crack down on drunk drivers

Sue Doyle

COSTA MESA -- It may be late for a New Year’s resolution, but the

Costa Mesa Police Department has announced a new goal: to pull in at

least 706 drunk driving arrests by June 2001.

That’s a 10% increase from the 642 drunk driving arrests made in 1998,

the year authorities will use to compare statistics, said Costa Mesa

Police Lt. Dale Birney, of the department’s traffic division.

Thanks to a $91,800 federal grant for traffic safety, the department

can add extra patrols and equipment.

“We arrest a lot on suspicion of driving under the influence,” Birney

said. “I thought we could improve on areas of safety in that respect.”

Since 1987, the department has utilized two officers specifically

trained to search the streets for drunk drivers. The grant will allow one

additional “DUI team” of two officers working overtime. They’ll work from

7 p.m. to 3 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays in July, August, November and

December. Extra patrols begin today.

Also, six additional drunk driving checkpoints will be set up through

next June. The first two are in September and October. Police have not

scheduled dates or locations for the checkpoints yet, but will announce

them in advance, Birney said.

Police hope an increase in drunk driving arrests will result in a 10%

decrease of car crashes -- another goal attached to the grant.

In 1998, there were 1,903 traffic accidents.

Officers have their eyes on speeders, too. Approximately 346 people

were either killed or injured in car crashes related to speeding in 1998.

Police expect a 10% decline in accidents caused by speeding by next June.

To help officers spot speeders, the department will station a new

trailer that displays drivers’ speeds, rotating it along different

streets. There’s already one in the city, but many residents have

complained about speeders, so the department arranged for an additional

trailer.