The Antelope Valley Times

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35 arrested during Lancaster checkpoint

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LANCASTER – Nearly three dozen people were arrested, including two for driving under the influence, at a DUI/driver’s license checkpoint conducted in Lancaster Friday night and early Saturday morning, authorities said.

The checkpoint was conducted at Avenue I and 3rd Street East, between the hours of 6 p.m. and 2 a.m., according to Detective Michael Politano of the Lancaster Sheriff’s Station.

According to Politano, the results of the checkpoint are as follows:

  • 704 vehicles traveled through the checkpoint.
  • 704 drivers were checked at the checkpoint.
  • One DUI – drug (marijuana) suspect was arrested.
  • One DUI – alcohol suspect was arrested.
  • 19 unlicensed drivers were arrested and sent to court.
  • Seven suspended/revoked drivers were arrested and sent to court.
  • Three suspects were arrested for warrants.
  • Three suspects were arrested and sent to court for allowing an unlicensed driver to drive their vehicle.
  • One suspect was arrested for failing to have an Ignition Interlock Device (IID) as required.
  • One suspect was cited for possession of an open container of alcohol.
  • Four suspects were cited for driver’s license related infractions.
  • 10 vehicles were impounded for 30 days.
  • 19 vehicles were released per checkpoint release procedures.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department will be conducting additional DUI/driver’s license checkpoints and DUI Saturation Patrols throughout the year as part of its commitment to lowering deaths and injuries on streets and highways.

Funding for these operations is provided 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

28 comments for "35 arrested during Lancaster checkpoint"

  1. I live in city over the hill where these wack-azz checkpoints are few and far between and when they do have one everybody knows about it anyway. The area is saturated with bars and restaurants full of people drinking 7 days per week and there are not nearly as many accidents as the po-lice would like you to think. A lot of exaggeration and scare tactics are being used to rape your wallets. Beware.

  2. “Three suspects were arrested and sent to court for allowing an unlicensed driver to drive their vehicle.”

    Curious…how many of these people were drunks who deferred to a sober friend to drive home?

  3. To anyone complaining about west versus east, rich versus poor…. there is a way to change the locations, slowly, so that they are spread out more. Write your representatives at the state level. Write the CHP leadership. Write your Federal reps. Complaining here is a waste of voice.

  4. Silly people. You know how many Fatal DUI crashes happen in the AV?? You don’t think about that do you? It’s called a DUI check point, and if your “unlincensed” and drive through there….that’s YOUR problem not the cops. People only need cops when BAD things happen. And FYI there have been check points on the “west side” near Schooners so cut the crap. Seriously lol.

    • Enlighten us with some juicy factoids. How many fatal accidents are actually CAUSED by DUI drivers. One per day? One per month? A couple per year? Does it justify mass incarceration and what amounts to waging war against the populace? Is it about revenge? Is it about punishing the masses for the crimes of the few?

      • In just Lancaster, I’d say one – two FATAL DUI related accidents.a month. I believe the last one was end of March when the kid ran his truck into an elderly women’s home and killed her while she was asleep???

        • You said the system is designed to keep the hardworking people in poverty. I’m assuming to mean me since I live on the east side? How the hell is a DUI check point designed to do that? Palmdale had their check point on 10th st W near the mall. Maybe I’m “brain washed” and don’t get it but was that one designed to bump the hard working middle class to the east side of Palmdale with a DUI or citation for driving on a suspended license?

    • Yeah a DUI checkpoint that only had 2 out of 704 DUI arrests.. And I didn’t say they’re ONLY on the east side, I said the majority of them are. So please, YOU “cut the crap”. Seriously!

  5. Do a simple Net search on ‘exaggerated DUI statistics’ and you’ll see how DUI stats are manipulated. This is nothing short of extortion. Profit driven law enforcement using trumped up stats and emotionalism.

  6. The Antelope Valley is utterly pathetic. Marijuana DUI? Marijuana DUI used to be unheard of but now it’s the latest tool in the race to criminalize everything. Americans are truly spineless.

  7. Hey
    I was an unlicensed driver about 2 months ago the reason behind that was because I failed to pay some tickets because I had to choose between paying my bills or a ticket for 3 years I avoided the main streets took back roads home because I am the sole provider in my home of my wife and 3 boys 3,7,and 10. I work in the valley my schedule is from 11 to 7:30 but never work till 7:30 I usually stay to 12 am. It was hard and scarry to know that at anytime I could be taken to jail and have my car impounded either one would have cause me to lose my job. One day I finally got pulled over when I move to the east side all because I was a Mexican at 2 am driving home the cop got next to me looked over and took a look at me and then got behind me no infractions at all he took my car and didn’t arrest me but he did say I was lucky he didn’t wanna bother with paperwork that night. This was 2 weeks after I moved to the east side the 3 years I spent on the west side not once did I get pulled over I learned a valuable lesson that if you are a working family man it doesn’t matter what matters is where you stay I went from paying 1675 on the west side to paying 1150 on the east side. Here I thought I was going to save money to pay my tickets. When my in laws saw that they took my car they came together and helped me and my wife out to pay my tickets 2800 and 1200 to get my car out. The courts keep the people broke they have cops giving out tickets to Eastside resident’s to keep them in the system “people pay your fines tickets” they get money for every man or woman that gets booked to jail that’s how they pay their bills if we lower arrest in the Eastside watch how fast they start patrolling the west side trust me I seen more west side residents drive drunk then I can count. Mon through Friday Westside is full dui drivers. But they won’t mess with them because cops live on the west side they have family’s and friends there that are the same as east side north side or south side some don’t work live at mom’s or grandparents home and drink and smoke daily they pick on the easy targets let’s stop giving them money out of our pockets let some other residents pay for a change. Don’t drive if you are unlicensed or drinking I had my car and whenever I had a lic. Driver with me I would let them drive my car. Let’s think smart and stop paying these cops to arrest us.

    • Dude I totally feel where you’re coming from 100%. The system is designed to keep hard working people like you and myself in poverty. Some people are so brainwashed that they think just cuz it’s a law it has to be right, and anyone who doesn’t follow it 100% is a horrible person!They don’t have these checkpoints half as much on the west side as they do over here on the east side. They assume everybody that lives on the east is either on drugs in a gang, or just a nuisance to society. Which is BS! There is a lot of hard working, over worked and under paid individuals that are just trying to stay above water and support their families. But unfortunately those are the easy targets for the sheriffs department to harass!i genuinely hope everything works out for you and your family. Congrats on finally being able to pay your tickets and getting your car back! Keep your head up and continue being a good role model to your kids!

    • Or we can just let the hatred build up between the cops and their prey until some triggering event happens.

      Hey, it worked out good for Ferguson, Missouri, right? According to the federal investigation this sort of municipal funding through fines program was a root cause of the rioting there.

    • Clean up the streets? I see people were arrested and sent to court for traffic infractions and 2 for DUI. While these cops sit and wait, shootings, robbery and assaults are still going on. I say PATROL not wait!

    • Streets cleaned up? You’re so brainwashed it’s sad. This is not cleaning up the streets, please read the comment above written by “big mike”. Most of these people driving on a suspended are honest hard working people, that have to choose between eating and having a roof over their head, or paying a ticket that caused harm to nobody. Notice w DUI checkpoint only had 2 DUI related arrests? This is a way for the city to tax hard working people so they can make money. You must be a stuck up housewife who has no clue what the real world is like, or what it’s like to struggle because you sit on your ass all day while your husband works. I’m sure you’re also not as innocent as you’d like to think you are. Keep living in your little bubble, and continue being a sheeple.

  10. Iam glad non licensed drivers are being cited. That should obligate them to get a license.

    • And you should be obligated to live in poverty for a week and see if you would pay a ticket/fine, or pay your rent, your bills and put food on the table. I also suggest you read “big mikes” comment above and see some of the people that are driving on a suspended license.

      • Who’s fault is it that someone lives in poverty? Certainly not everyone else’s. How about you don’t get a ticket in the first place by obeying all laws and than you won’t have to worry about tickets. You getting a ticket is your own fault. And knowingly breaking the law is your fault so you should pay.

        Also I live on the Eastside and I am far from being in poverty.

        • I’ve lived in poverty and believe me, it’s hard to get out. But I’ve had a ticket I couldn’t pay because I just couldn’t afford to. Eventually I did and it was triple what it was at the beginning, but you know what? It was my fault. I shouldn’t have been speeding in the first place. Paying that fine sunk me in a deeper hole but breaking the law and getting one was totally not worth it. If you can’t afford a ticket, don’t risk getting one.

  11. They should list the names of those that got DUI’s, just like any other arrestee….

    • So we can get a jump start on punishing them before they are tried and found guilty?

      • You are the only one that talks the truth, the rest of these a —-s just like to talk s— and get everyone up in arms over nothing . . .

      • In this country it is common practice to publicly display all those ‘accused’ of any kind of crime, complete with full name, booking photo and personal descriptions. Then the ‘trial in the court of public opinion’ commences….. I know that in other countries the identities of those merely accused are never fully revealed in the press.

        DUIs are not only criminal offenses- they pose greater danger to the general public than most others. Why are they treated differently?

        • Because DUI is frequently issued to people who are among the “movers and shakers” who could make a big deal out of the fact that this whole “court of public opinion” business is due to law enforcement grossly over stepping their authority. As long as they only release people’s info who aren’t really in a position to do anything about it they get away with it.

          The real question isn’t “why do they handle DUI this way?” The real question is “why do we the people let them get away with how they handle every other allegation.

          • If I understand you correctly you are implying that there are two kinds of ‘justice’ – for the ‘haves’ and the ‘have nots’.

            That is just crazy talk – crazy is say! :)

            And the answer to the other question is that it makes us feel morally superior and most importantly, it sells advertising and pays salaries.

            Rebuttal?