Holiday DUI enforcement shows drop in arrests in Sonoma County

Memorial Day weekend drunken driver enforcement throughout Sonoma County resulted in a significant drop in DUI arrests compared to the same time in 2014.

There were no fatal or major-injury crashes reported in Sonoma County related to impaired driving, according to law enforcement agencies.

Lake County CHP reported the death of a 19-year-old Lakeport woman and the arrest of a 21-year-old Lakeport man suspected of DUI. Two men died in a Napa County crash but whether alcohol was involved wasn’t known, according to Napa CHP.

Friday, Saturday Sunday and Monday Sonoma County’s 13 law enforcement agencies gave extra attention to DUI enforcement. With most agencies reporting, there were 28 drivers arrested on suspicion of driving while intoxicated or under the influence of drugs, Santa Rosa Sgt. Mike Numainville said.

In 2014 there were 46 such arrests in the same time. Of this year’s 28 arrests, 16 were made by CHP officers, according to CHP reports.

Numainville said efforts by all of the agencies remained similar to last year, with one checkpoint and 12 saturation patrols added to heightened attention in general.

He hoped the drop in arrests meant drivers were paying attention that officers were paying attention. “Hopefully the message is getting out there, drinking and driving is dangerous and unsafe,” Numainville said.

Two of the arrests came in Rohnert Park from a checkpoint Friday night into Saturday morning. It was set up on the Rohnert Park Expressway near State Farm Drive.

Officers reported 1027 drivers passed through the checkpoint and 50 were given a closer look.

Of those, two were arrested on suspicion of drunken driving. The two were a Santa Rosa man with a preliminary blood-alcohol percentage level of .17 and a Rohnert Park man with a level of .20, according to Rohnert Park police. Eight others were given citations for having either having a suspended license or no license at all.

On Friday, Santa Rosa will hold a drunken driving checkpoint somewhere in the city from 8 p.m. until 3 a.m. Saturday.

The July 4 Independence Day weekend will be the next round of added enforcement regarding drunken driving by all 13 local law enforcement agencies.