More than 1,000 vehicles screened at checkpoint on St. Patrick’s Day (Chula Vista)

The San Diego Union – Tribune. San Diego, Calif.: Mar 19, 2005. pg. B.11.6

CHULA VISTA — Police arrested four people on suspicion of drunken driving and two others suspected of marijuana possession at a checkpoint that screened more than 1,000 motorists on St. Patrick’s Day.

The sobriety checkpoint was set up on H Street, east of Broadway, at 7 p.m. Officers screened 1,076 vehicles, talked to 438 drivers and asked nine motorists to submit to field sobriety tests, said Agent Dan Peak of the Chula Vista police.

Police cited 13 motorists for driving without a license, impounded 19 cars and issued 22 citations for vehicle code violations.

The checkpoint was the start of a two-man DUI enforcement team.

City officials recently created the team after securing a $450,000 grant from the state Office of Traffic Safety to fund it for the next three years, said police spokesman Bernard Gonzales.

The department periodically organizes what it calls “DUI saturation patrols.” As many as 20 patrol officers focus on drunken- driving arrests during a night shift or a holiday period.

The new team, composed of Peak and Officer Brandon Hittle, will focus exclusively on catching motorists who drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs, Gonzales said. The department also will supplement the team’s work with the saturation patrols, he said.