Newport police conducting checkpoint on peninsula

Newport Beach police will set up a sobriety checkpoint Friday night near where drivers leave the peninsula, police officials said.

From 9 p.m. to 3 a.m. on northbound Newport Boulevard and Finley Avenue, officers will screen select drivers for sobriety and pass out brochures on the dangers of driving under the influence.

Police said they chose the base of the peninsula because of its close proximity to bars and restaurants. Checkpoints tend to reduce the number of inebriated drivers on the road but do not necessarily increase arrests, officials said. Checkpoints are deterrents and ensure public safety by reducing the amount of drunk drivers on the road, police said.

Police also conduct saturation patrols, where officers target drivers appearing to be driving under the influence.

Newport Beach police fund the programs through a California Office of Traffic Safety grant.

— Joseph Serna