Press release - DUI Saturation Patrol

Published 2/8/2010 (all press releases for this day)

John Crombach Chief of Police

Oxnard Police Department R. Jason Benites Assistant Chief Scott Whitney Assistant Chief

OXNARD POLICE DEPARTMENT

PRESS RELEASE

DETAILS:

On February 7th, 2010, between the hours of 4:00 P.M. and 10:00 P.M., officers from the Oxnard Police Department Traffic Unit conducted a DUI saturation patrol for Super Bowl Sunday. Officers patrolled the City of Oxnard with an emphasis on impaired drivers and traffic enforcement.

During the operation, officers conducted 90 traffic stops and conducted 12 DUI investigations. These investigations led to the arrest of 7 drivers for driving under the influence of alcohol. Two of the drivers arrested for DUI had a blood alcohol level that was nearly twice the legal limit. One of the seven arrested drivers was under the age of 21 with a blood alcohol level of over twice the legal limit. A fourth driver was arrested after found to be driving under the influence of prescription medications and was involved in a traffic collision.

Officers also issued 27 traffic citations for various vehicle code violations. 13 of the drivers stopped were unlicensed and one of those drivers was driving with a suspended driver’s license. Officers towed 8 vehicles and the owners of the towed vehicles will face a minimum release fee of $494.00.

Tonight’s DUI saturation patrol was in an effort to reduce the number of alcohol related crashes specifically on Super Bowl Sunday. California statistics show that Super Bowl Sunday has one of the highest alcohol related collision rates of the year. The Oxnard Police Department is dedicated to making our community and roadways safer though these enforcement operations. These operations are funded through grants from the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) though the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA).

For any questions related to DUI and traffic enforcement, please contact Senior Officer Brian Woolley at (805) 385-7749 or via e-mail at brianwoolley@oxnardpd.org.