Avoid the 100 Los Angeles County DUI Campaign news release

From the Avoid the 100 Los Angeles County DUI Campaign news release:

"WINTER HOLIDAY AVOID DUI CAMPAIGN - THURSDAY UPDATE 9

DUI Arrests Continue into the New Year

The Winter Holiday Anti-DUI crackdown has resulted in a significant number of DUI arrests from local routine traffic enforcement and special Avoid the 100 DUI deployments during the past several days in Los Angeles County. From 12:01 AM Friday December 17, 2010 through Midnight Wednesday December 29, 2010 officers representing 100 county law enforcement agencies have arrested hundreds of individuals for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, at press time, the overnight numbers for Wednesday were still being reported. The total number for the first 13 days of the campaign will be released as soon as all reporting agencies have their information in. In 2009, 1,929 DUI arrests occurred in the same thirteen (13) day time period.

"During this campaign period there have been several reported crashes throughout Los Angeles County involving drunken drivers, but thankfully there have been no fatalities," said Glendora's Acting Police Chief Rob Castro. "The Avoid the 100 DUI Task Force hopes to keep it that way through the New Year and encourages everyone to enjoy the New Year responsibly," he said.

For the New Year's Weekend and final weekend of the campaign checkpoints will be conducted in El Monte, Covina, Monrovia, Vernon, West Hollywood, Newhall, West Valley, Hollywood and downtown.

Additionally, DUI Saturation Patrols are planned to cover all of the South Bay region, Alhambra,

Glendora, Claremont, Pomona, La Verne, Covina, Azusa, Irwindale, Beverly Hills, Long Beach, San Gabriel, Baldwin Park, El Monte, West Los Angeles, the Harbor area and Monrovia. All regularly scheduled traffic and patrol officers will also focus efforts at stopping and arresting DUI drivers during their normal shifts. The CHP will be deploying all available officers for their Maximum Enforcement Period during the holiday weekend. Police, Sheriff and the CHP encourage all motorists to help make your community safer: Report Drunk Drivers - Call 911. Funding for this program is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. DUI arrest data collection will continue through this weekend, ending midnight Sunday, January 2, 2011.

MEDIA NOTE: Please visit the AVOID website at www.californiaavoid.org for more information the on campaign's DUI Enforcement, statistical date on DUI arrests and DUI fatal crashes from earlier enforcement efforts. The checkpoint locations and saturation patrols will be made available for media opportunities or ride-alongs each night."