New year quietly rung in, police say

Marisa O’Neil

Residents rang in the New Year relatively calmly, with local law

enforcement agencies reporting no major incidents or problems.

Police handed out a few more DUI citations than usual and got

extra calls about loud parties and people setting off fireworks. But

overall, the night remained uneventful.

“It seemed to me there were less people on the roadway,” Costa

Mesa Police Sgt. Robert Sharpnack said. “Maybe people are staying

home.”

Costa Mesa police arrested seven people on suspicion of driving

under the influence over the New Year’s holiday, Sharpnack said.

Though Costa Mesa had “pretty heavy staffing,” they did not set up

any DUI checkpoints for the holiday.

During the last sobriety checkpoint and roving enforcement night,

earlier in December, Costa Mesa police arrested 26 people on

suspicion of DUI, Officer Bryan Wadkins said.

Most of the calls in Costa Mesa were disturbance calls for loud

parties or drunken arguments, Sharpnack said, but no arrests were

made in those.

Some people around the city also set off fireworks to welcome

2004, he said, but no fires or injuries were reported. People setting

off fireworks usually leave the scene by the time neighbors call the

police and officers show up, but the sight of a patrol car can act as

a deterrent.

Though the sound of celebratory gunfire typically comes near the

midnight hour, Sharpnack said he did not hear of any calls from

people saying that they had heard shots fired.

Countywide, the California Highway Patrol made 16 DUI arrests

between 6 p.m. New Year’s Eve and 6 a.m. New Year’s Day, Officer

Katrina Lundgren said. No one died on Orange County freeways.

The New Year’s holiday was a maximum enforcement period for the

Highway Patrol, meaning that 80% of available uniformed personnel

were on the road watching for drunk drivers and speeders and

enforcing seat-belt and child-safety seat laws.

“At least in Orange County, it was not that bad,” Lundgren said.

“Maybe people are heeding advice [not to drink and drive].”

Newport Beach police did not report any DUI arrests or anything

“out of the ordinary.”

Costa Mesa police are planning another DUI checkpoint for tonight,

from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. on West 19th Street at Meyer Place. Typically,

Wadkins said, officers will stop every five or 10 cars, talk to the

drivers and, if necessary, conduct sobriety tests.

“Our whole purpose is education,” Wadkins said. “We’re out there,

talking to people and handing out literature from Mothers Against

Drunk Driving. It’s surprising how many people get caught.”

Drivers who don’t pass sobriety tests will have their cars towed

and will get a free ride -- to the police station for booking.

* MARISA O’NEIL covers education. She may be reached at (949)

574-4268 or by e-mail at marisa.oneil@latimes.com.