The Sacramento Police Department has received an additional mini-grant to fund checkpoints.

The Office of Traffic Safety (OTS), through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), funds sobriety checkpoints throughout California. The goal is to reduce the number of victims killed and injured in alcohol-impaired crashes in participating cities. OTS awards mini-grants on a competitive basis using several criteria including performance on previous grants, the number of alcohol-impaired fatalities and injuries, and the value of the funding requested. The amount that the Sacramento Police Department received for this grant is $104,211.

DUI/ Driver's License Checkpoints, Multi Agency DUI Task Force deployments and roving DUI patrols are scheduled locally in partnership with law enforcement statewide and around the country.DUI Checkpoints are placed in locations that have the greatest opportunity for achieving drunk and drugged driving deterrence and educating the public.  Officers will be contacting drivers passing through the checkpoint for signs of alcohol and/or drug impairment.

In December 2009, there were 753 people killed nationwide in crashes that involved drivers or motorcycle riders with blood alcohol concentrations of .08 Blood Alcohol Content.  In California, 57 individuals died on the states streets and highways.

The message is simple, Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over.  Drinking alcohol and driving do not mix.