By KIMBERLY ACEVEDO
With the summer season officially here, the Long Beach Police Department has been setting up numerous road-blocks to remove drunk drivers from the road. But as important, they are working to send a societal message--drinking and driving will not be tolerated in Long Beach.
"We have a very strong reputation in the area of anti-DWI due to our road-blocks," Long Beach Police executive officer Michael Tangney said. "It's a very, very visible thing."
The average arrests per-night at a road-block used to be six, Tangney said. But now it's down to two per night, he said. When you see a car get pulled over, many people don't know why, but when you see a road-block, he added, "everyone knows what a road-block is for."
While the DWI arrest average has become lower, Tangney noted, the same volume of traffic and the same number of officers hasn't.
The police aren't just setting up road-blocks on random nights, he added. The police are targeting the better-known drinking holidays, from New Year's Eve to summer specialty nights. Different locations are used as road-block sites in order to keep drunk drivers from evading the sites.
But it's still the constant road-blocks that have kept the amount of drunk drivers off the road. During a road-block operation, it's becoming common to have a car pass through reeking of alcohol, Tangney said. But when the driver is asked to get out, he or she is sober. A designated driver, he said, is becoming a trend that can save lives.
"If you can't drink responsibly, find alternate transportation or designate a driver," Tangney recommended.
People need to be reminded that "driving is not a right." There is no law that states you have the right to drive, he said. "Driving is a privilege that is mandated by the state."
Tangney reminds people, especially under-aged drinkers, that there is a zero-tolerance law. And that could be costly. For anyone who drinks and drives, it could cost you a car.
Know when to say when, he said, and remember to drink responsibly. But he added, if you are going to go over the limit or you are not sure and may potentially go over the limit, remember: the towing fee is $125, the administration fee is $75, car storage per-day is $15, a lawyer is $2,000 to $5,000....but a cab is less than $10.
