AVOID THE 12 PLANS EXTRA PATROLS - 2 CHECKPOINTS - MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND

SANTA BARBARA COUNTY- May 15th, 2009

Two Saturday night sobriety checkpoints, one in Carpinteria and one in Lompoc, along with maximum freeway enforcement by the Santa Barbara, Buellton and Santa Maria offices of the California Highway Patrol are on the enforcement calendar for the Memorial Day weekend. The four-day crackdown, which starts on Friday, May 22, and ends the following Monday, May 25, is a project of Avoid the 12, the county multi-jurisdictional anti-DUI effort, said Deputy Win Smith of the sheriff’s department, campaign coordinator. “It’s the first long weekend of the summer and everybody needs a break from the anxiety, anguish and disruption the Jesusita fire has caused all of us,” Smith said. “All we ask is that you designate a completely sober driver to get everyone home safely after a party. It doesn’t cost a dime, and could save your life.” Officers from the dozen law enforcement departments for which Avoid the 12 is named brought in 64 DUI suspects during last year’s Memorial Day crackdown. Drunk or drugged drivers killed no one in the county.

The three-day Independence Day holiday is the next focus of Avoid the 12’s extra enforcement, including saturation patrols and a possible sobriety checkpoint. A 16-day summer campaign follows from Aug. 21 to Sept.7.