Police to up the ante for Memorial Day weekend

Police across Orange County will ramp up enforcement this holiday weekend in an effort to dissuade people from driving drunk.

DUI saturation patrols will be out Saturday and Sunday nights in Newport Beach, Irvine and Laguna Beach, according to a release from the Newport Beach Police Department.

Sobriety checkpoints are scheduled for Anaheim, La Habra, Buena Park and Seal Beach.

The California Highway Patrol will also deploy an increased number of officers to freeways and unincorporated roads through midnight Monday.

Memorial Day marks the unofficial start of summer, which is also a time for graduations, holiday travel and parties.

“Sobriety checkpoints are a proven deterrent along with the ‘high visibility’ enforcement campaigns to change behavior such as drunk driving, driving unrestrained and driving distracted,” said Chris Murphy, director of the California Office of Traffic Safety, in the release.

According to californiaavoid.org, a website run by the California Office of Traffic Safety, there were 139 DUI arrests in Orange County during the 2010 Memorial Day weekend.

Police are encouraging responsibility this holiday weekend and throughout the summer by designating a sober driver, calling 911 to report drunk drivers, and not allowing friends who drink excessively to get behind the wheel.