Police To Pop DUI Suspects | The Daily Nexus

Police To Pop DUI Suspects

October 29, 2009 at 2:59 am by Nathan Houle

More than just drunken revelers will block the streets of Isla Vista this Halloween.

A labyrinth of DUI checkpoints, street barricades and parking restrictions will make navigating the streets of Isla Vista a challenge this weekend. Over 250 officers from all 12 of Santa Barbara’s law enforcement agencies will be on duty Friday and Saturday night to ensure the safety of Halloween partygoers.

From 3:30 p.m. Friday to 8 a.m. Sunday, parking will be banned on impacted parts of I.V., including the 6500 block of Trigo and the 6500-6700 blocks of Del Playa Drive. Additionally, parking south of Trigo Road will be prohibited on both Camino Del Sur and Camino Pescadero.

IVFP Lt. Brian Olmstead said residents in these areas should move their cars by 3:30 p.m. Friday to avoid having their vehicles towed.

“Starting at about 2 p.m., we’re going to go up and down the street and announce over the P.A. that we’re going to start towing vehicles,” Olmstead said. “We don’t want to tow vehicles if we don’t have to.”

Cars parked on Sabado Tarde will not be towed, but will not be permitted to leave I.V. once barricades are in place. Barricades will be in place Friday and Saturday night from 6:30 p.m. until approximately 4:30 a.m. or when crowds have dispersed.

According to Olmstead, driving will be a near impossibility within Isla Vista during Halloween festivities, even for vehicles located outside of impacted parking areas.

“Movement will be very restricted within I.V.,” Olmstead said. “If you’re not in an impacted parking area and you don’t plan on moving your vehicle or leaving I.V., then you don’t really need to move your vehicle. If you’re working, you might need to move your vehicle or find alternative methods of transportation.”

Parking on campus will also be highly restricted, as only Halloween parking permits are valid over the weekend. The permits are still available to I.V. residents for purchase through UCSB Transportation and Parking Services at a cost of $25.

Santa Barbara County Police Dept. officers will also conduct DUI checkpoints throughout the county, according to California Highway Patrol public information officer Larry Hockman.

“They could be anywhere — Goleta, Isla Vista, downtown Santa Barbara,” Hockman said. “Obviously, Halloween celebration isn’t only in Isla Vista. We get everyone we can out there to ensure the safe and efficient flow of traffic and remove any impaired drivers.”

The CHP will also receive additional support from a special group of officers from the Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Dept. known as the DUI Saturation Patrol. These officers will support CHP by patrolling neighborhoods with the sole focus of locating and stopping intoxicated drivers, who will then be turned over to the CHP.