HomeMy WebLinkAbout0603.000Deceaber 6, 1990
HONORABLE CIT¥ COUNCIL
Palo Alto, California
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Drunk Drivina AWareness. and Enfprcement --Sobriety Checkpoint
Prqqram
Members of the Council:
This is an informational report describing thi;; yearl s Sobriety
Checkpoint Program. No council action is required.
ni,eus.ion
consistent with past efforts to reduce drunk driver involved
traffic accidents, the Police Department will again conduct a
SObrie.ty Checkpoint designed to raise public aw~reness about the
preble. of drunk dri~inq. statistics show that 54 percent of all
traffic fatalities involve intoxicated drivers~
Altbouqh this program enables police officers to detect and arrest
drunk drivers, the primary purpose is to promote public safety by
di.couraqinq intoxicatecl persons from driving: en public streets and
blgbways.
rn October 1981, the california Supreme Court upbeld the
constitutionality of sobriety checkpoints~ The program consists of
a system t..ltat channels traffic through a checkpoint where police
officers conduct a rapid sobriety evaluation of randomly selected
aotarists. At the same time, drivers contacted receive literature
explaining the purpose of the program. Unless a driver exhibits
siqns of intoxication, the process is completed in less than one
.inute. The public's reaction to the checkpoint will also be
.easured through the use cf pre-addressed survey cards that \l'ill be
qiven to each person stopped.
On Dec:ember 14, 1990 .. the Police Department will conduct its fourth
annual Sobriety Checkpoint froD 9:00 p.m. to 3:00 a ••• at El Camino
Real and Hansen Va:,;-. The location was aqain selected based upon
.ta~istlcal infor.mation which indicates a disproportionate number
of drunk driving arrests and accidents. Business owners and
residents in the vicinity of the checkpoint will be notified in
advance. In 1987, the Sobri~ty Checkpoint activity resulted in the
arrest of 15 individuals, while 11 arrests were Bade in 1988 and 4
in 1989.
CIIR:603:0 12-6-90
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Thi. Sobriety checkpoint program will aqain be conducted as a
cooperatIve effort with participation from neighboring agencies
includinq Mountain View, Los Altos and Menlo Park Police
Departments, Stanford Department of Public Safety and the
california Highway Patrol. /1!f
~IST3~~(~~~~I~N~--
Police Chief
CIIR:60J:O
:1. Jl' ~~!Jf.--PTJ J\1NE FLEl!1NG (
Assistant city ~n ~r J \../
12-6-90
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