Police arrest two in DUI checkpoint

A checkpoint netted two driving under the influence-related arrests Friday night and early Saturday morning, according to the Laguna Beach Police Department.

Officers stationed at Vista Del Sol and Coast Highway from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. screened 2,265 vehicles, police said in a news release.

In addition to the two DUI-related arrests, officers arrested three other people on suspicion of criminal charges.

Seven drivers were cited or arrested for driving without a license or with a suspended or revoked license, police said.

“Overall the officers had a busy evening and they cited a more than usual number of unlicensed and suspended drivers,” Lt. Jeff Calvert wrote in a follow-up email. “The number of arrests at our checkpoints — DUI related — always vary because vehicles are directed into the secondary lane for screening based upon a random formula, so by law every motorist is not screened.”

Each motorist who was screened received an information pamphlet, according to Calvert.

Checkpoints, which are funded by the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, provide the most effective DUI enforcement strategy while yielding a saving of $6 for every $1 spent, police reported.

Laguna Beach police will conduct DUI checkpoints in August and September in its commitment to lower deaths and injuries on streets and highways, the release said.

—Bryce Alderton

Twitter: @AldertonBryce