The Antelope Valley Times

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939 screened, eight arrested at Lancaster DUI checkpoint

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LANCASTER – Deputies from Lancaster Sheriff’s Station conducted a sobriety and driver’s license checkpoint in Lancaster on Saturday (Dec. 15), from 6 pm to 2 am. The checkpoint location was eastbound Avenue J at 8th Street East. The results of the checkpoint are as follows:

* 1040 vehicles traveled through the checkpoint.

* 939 drivers screened while in their vehicles.

* 101 drivers waived through because of traffic congestion.

* 30 citations/arrests for suspended, revoked, or no driver’s license.

* 12 citations issued for miscellaneous traffic violations in and around the checkpoint.

* Eight drivers required to perform field sobriety tests.

* One arrest for DUI (alcohol)

* Three arrests for allowing unlicensed driver to drive.

* Two arrests for misdemeanor warrants.

* Two arrests for not having an Ignition Interlock Device in the vehicle.

* 15 vehicles stored or impounded.

Funding for this checkpoint is provided to Lancaster Station by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

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Filed Under: Crime/ Safety

43 comments for "939 screened, eight arrested at Lancaster DUI checkpoint"

  1. NICE JOB!! BESIDES THE LEAPS PROGRAM, WHILE THE SHERRIFS WAS CONDUCTING A DUI SEARCH, HOW MANY HOUSES WERE BEING ROB, HOW MANY PEOPLE WERE HELD UP AT GUN POINT, HOW MANY BUSISNESS GOT ROB! HOW MANY DEAD BEAT DADS THAT DON’T WORK WERE BEATING ON THERE BABY MAMA! THANK YOU LANCASTER FOR WASTING OUT TAX DOLLARS IN ONE INTERSECTION!!!!

  3. The other night I had a bit too much to drink. But being the responsible adult I am I chose to take a cab. The check point was easy as they just waved the cab thru. I’ve never driven a cab before but when I woke up there is was parked in my garage.

    • At least admit its being used as an excuse to pull people over without probable cause and violate their rights.

      • Not to mention missapropriation of funds meant to actually fight driving under the influence.

        • Let me take a wild guess here AV. You’re mad because you’ve been busted for drinking and driving? Let me edumacate you. It is NOT illegal to conduct these stops (Ingersoll v. Palmer). However, it IS illegal to drink and drive. Get it?!

        • AV lifetime Resident. If you were you would know how many people are killed each year due to DUI in the Antelope Valley. As you can see by the article a DUI arrest was made and other vehicles were towed for not having interlock devices. I would rather see my tax dollars conducting a checkpoint rather than investigating a fatal Dui collision.

      • AVlifetimeResident at least admit you don’t know what you are talking about (again). You voluntarily go thru the checkpoint. You choose to go through it. How is that a violation?

  5. I for one love to go through these check points as I am fully legal, licensed, insured, and sober. They usually wave me through because I look respectful, don’t have a stupid low rider car, and they just know…I want the illegal drivers, drunk, stoned or otherwise off the streets. The officers work hard, it’s cold, windy, and they have to stand out there just to make YOU safe…and yeah, most are reservists. Next time a drunk kills an innocent remember that he could perhaps have been taken off the street with a check point.

      • Yes, and I especially love how they cry about how this is a violation of their rights. Obviously they don’t keep up with the laws otherwise they would know that these stops are legal. Lol.

  6. “101 drivers waived through because of traffic congestion.”
    How many of them could have been what they were looking for? It’s either they do all or nothing. Traffic congestion is something they should have anticipated anyway.

    • Not sure what your point is here… they are not allowed to hold people up for more than 2 minutes from the time they enter the chute. When there is too much traffic, they are required to waive thru every Nth car until the wait time is once again acceptable. They do anticipate traffic congestion. That’s why those kind of procedures are already in place.

  7. waste of time and our tax money- how hard are the other po po’s laughing at you guys for midemeaner arrests??? pitiful [removed], where are the felonies??

  8. I am not impressed with their feeble efforts. All those resources for only eight arrests. The article states that 101 people were waved through because of congestion – sloppy work to say the least.

      • Javier is another person who obviously hasn’t read this thread completely before making an idiotic post. Javier, the people were waved thru because they have to be. Read an earlier post to find out why. Sloppy, would be for the sheriff NOT to be following their rules to make things like this random.

  9. … brazen, wanton insult upon our constitution, the Los Angeles County Sheriff Department, spiting in the face of America’s founding fathers —

      • Yes but stopping someone while driving without cause isn’t a right it’s a violation of the constitution.Something Lancastet has repeatedly shown little if any regard for since Rex took office.

        • AV did you just fall off a turnip truck? Nobody’s rights are being violated here. There are plenty of notices to driver’s that a DUI check point is being conducted. So if your stupid enough to drink and drive and you go through a check point…you’re gonna get nailed.

    • you got it wrong- you should write: Now all those nice big fat sheriffs get an overtime check to go spend on Christmas!

      • Didn’t your Mom tell you not to say anything about someone unless you could say it to their face?

      • If your probation officer will let you out after dark you should go see one of these checkpoints. Make sure you have a sober licensed driver.

    • Don’t for get the volunteers that were there for free. Oh and the reserves that got their dollar a year.

      • Here you go buddy: “The state Senate on Tuesday voted to restrict cities’ ability to impound cars driven by people caught at sobriety checkpoints without driver’s licenses. The action came as a direct response to the city of Bell, which made it a practice to confiscate vehicles from unlicensed motorists — many of them illegal immigrants — and then charge high impound fees or sell them in order to fill city coffers.”

        From: http://articles.latimes.com/2011/aug/31/local/la-me-0831-bell-impound-20110831

        For the record I don’t have a problem with the sheriff’s department pulling folks over and sending them to jail when DUI but more and more law enforcement agencies are appearing like REVENUE GENERATING agencies for cities that are up to their eyes in debt and THAT I have a problem with. I am a law abiding tax payer; I am not an ATM machine for a bloated city that needs to reduce spending rather than continually look for new methods to generate more revenue.