Baldwin Park CHP to Hold a Sobriety Checkpoint in Covina

On Friday, December 21, 2012, at approximately 6:00 pm, the Baldwin Park California Highway Patrol will conduct a sobriety checkpoint in the unincorporated Covina area.

Check the full schedule of checkpoints law enforcement agencies from across Los Angeles County will coordinate in the region.
 
The Checkpoint will be staffed by CHP Officers who are trained in the detection of alcohol and or impaired drivers.  The officers will also be equipped with state of the art hand-held breath testing devices which provide an accurate measure of blood alcohol concentrations of suspected drunk drivers. 

Motorists approaching the sobriety checkpoint will see informational signs advising them that a checkpoint is ahead.  Once diverted into the lane, motorists will be detained only for a few moments while an officer explains the purpose of the checkpoint. 

CHP sobriety checkpoints will be conducted in accordance with the guidelines for checkpoint operations outlined in the Supreme Court decision, Ingersoll vs. Palmer.
 
Captain Marc Shaw related, “The sobriety checkpoint is part of the CHP’s effort to curb drinking and driving.  Traffic volume permitting, all vehicles will be checked.  If volume becomes too heavy, vehicles to be checked will be selected by a pre-set standard (such as every 3rd or 5th vehicle) to assure objectivity.”
 
Captain Marc Shaw said that placing checkpoints on roads with identified DUI problems and detaining drivers for a very limited time “helps to assure we conform with the guidelines.”  He noted that checkpoints tend to, “reduce the number of drinking drivers on the road, even though arrest totals do not rise dramatically.”  A major value of checkpoints is their psychological influence.  “We advise the news media well in advance whenever a checkpoint is planned, since extensive publicity also is viewed as a legal safeguard,” he said.
 
- From a CHP Press release

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