Sacramento police plan sobriety checkpoint in midtown area

Sacramento police will conduct a sobriety and driver license checkpoint in the midtown area Friday night.

The checkpoint will be located on 21st Street near Capitol Avenue. Beginning at 7:30 p.m. and continuing for five to seven hours, officers will stop motorists passing through the area to check for signs of alcohol or drug impairment and to make sure drivers have a proper license.

When possible, specially trained officers will be available to evaluate motorists suspected of drug-impaired driving, which police say accounts for a growing number of drug-impaired crashes. Drugs which may impair driving include not only illegal narcotics, but also many prescription drugs, marijuana and some over-the-counter medications.

In case of inclement weather, the event will be turned into a saturation patrol, according to a Police Department news release.

DUI checkpoint locations are based on collision statistics and the frequency of DUI arrests in the area.

Police warn that motorists caught driving impaired can expect a DUI arrest to include jail time, fines, fees, DUI classes and other expenses that can exceed $10,000.

Funding for the checkpoint is provided by the Sacramento Police Department via a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.