Laguna’s squad cars turn into Tipsy Taxis

Police will be on lookout for drunk drivers over the holidays; they might even drive you home.Getting liquored up for holiday events may be routine for some, but spending a night in jail or getting into an accident might be more than revelers bargain for.

Local organizations and law enforcement agents are publicizing alternatives to driving home drunk.

“All too often, partying begins with no plans to get home,” said Reidel Post, executive director for the Orange County chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD).

About three in every 10 Americans will be involved in an alcohol-related vehicular accident at some time in their lives, Post said.

She added that the Laguna Beach Police Department is a leader in Orange County for drunk-driving enforcement.

In 2004 the Police Department made over 600 arrests for driving under the influence, Traffic Sgt. Jason Kravetz said, and this year the city is expected to approach or surpass that mark.

For the holiday season, the police department intends to enhance its drunk-driving enforcement with a sobriety checkpoint and a roving task force of units from neighboring towns, Kravetz said.

In the last two weeks of December, residents should expect to see police cars from towns such as Costa Mesa, Newport Beach and Irvine patrolling the streets of Laguna Beach.

In all, there will be about 14 extra units on duty for each night the task force is in operation, Kravetz said.

To reduce the number of drunk drivers on the streets, the police department offers a service known as Tipsy Taxi, in which on-duty officers provide rides for residents.

To be eligible for the service, you must be an intoxicated resident of Laguna Beach traveling within city limits to your home.

If you are not eligible, the police will arrange for a commercial taxi or for a sober person to take you home.

Emergency calls will take priority over Tipsy Taxi calls.

Passengers will be searched for weapons before entering the police car.

While the service is free, it is not well-known to residents and rarely used, Kravetz said.

Tipsy Taxi also poses the problem of having to leave your car behind, bartender Richie Witolin of Hennessey’s Tavern said.

Witolin said he tries hard to prevent drunk customers from driving home.

“In the past, I’ve made them sit until my shift ended so I could drive them home myself,” Witolin said.

At the White House Restaurant, bartender Jason Engel said he knows his customers’ drinking limits and keeps taxi numbers on hand. He has on occasion recommended the Tipsy Taxi service.

“All it takes is a beverage or two to put you over the legal limit,” Engel said.

To educate local bartenders and waiters on methods to create a safe drinking environment, Alcohol Beverage Control officials addressed more than 50 of them in the City Council chambers on November 10.

Of prime concern to the agency is preventing underage drinking. People under the age of 21 have a higher rate of drunk-driving fatalities than the general adult population. To thwart underage drinking, the liquor agency operates a program called Shoulder Tap, which involves sending out underage decoys who attempt to buy alcohol, spokesman John Carr said.

Underage drinkers who need a ride home from the police are encouraged to ask for one, Kravetz said, although state law requires officers to notify parents.

In the past, high school students could take advantage of a program known as Safe Rides, in which intoxicated young people could make a call to receive a ride home with no questions asked.

“The Safe Rides program was facilitated by a parent volunteer that worked Friday and Saturday nights but was unable to continue because of the heavy commitment,” said high school principal Nancy Blade.

The city also offers $3 vouchers for cab rides. According to Pat Barry, director of community services, the intent of the program was to relieve congestion in the downtown area, not to provide a service for drinkers.

Each voucher is good for no more than four passengers and is limited to rides from business areas to home.

Revelers should consider that taxi drivers might not want to pick up someone who is inebriated.

“They [the taxi drivers] are not required to pick someone up,” said Barry.