By Daily Press staff
Cops are out in full force this holiday season. And last week, they took their moniker “to protect and serve” to a new level.
Local law enforcement officers invited residents to belly up to the bar last week to enjoy a complimentary COPtail. Putting a twist on standard bar beverages, the officers served alcohol-free drinks, also known as “COPtails,” to the lunch patrons of El Cholo Cafe on Wilshire Boulevard in Santa Monica as a reminder to celebrate responsibly during the holiday season.
More than a dozen officers from throughout the area joined the California Highway Patrol to serve the COPtails as part of California’s Drunk and Drugged Driving (3D) Prevention Month. The effort also served as the kick-off for increased saturation patrols and sobriety checkpoints that will take place in the region throughout December and January.
“The CHP and agencies from around the state will be conducting an increased number of checkpoints this holiday season to take drunk drivers off the road,” said CHP Commissioner Mike Brown. “Motorists should consider this fair warning — if you choose to drink and drive, law enforcement will be looking for you.”
Alcohol-related fatalities have climbed in California for the fifth consecutive year, prompting the state to dedicate increased funding toward anti-DUI enforcement. During the COPtails event, the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS), on behalf of the Business, Transportation and Housing Agency (BTH), announced a $4.7 million grant to police departments statewide to conduct sobriety checkpoints during holidays.
“The Schwarzenegger administration is very concerned about the rising number of people killed in alcohol-related crashes,” said BTH Secretary Sunne Wright McPeak. By funding increased checkpoints and patrols, we will give law enforcement the resources they need to tackle the DUI problem head-on. Our message is clear — drunk driving will not be tolerated.”
Statewide, 1,445 people were killed and 31,337 were injured in alcohol-related crashes in 2003, compared to 1,416 fatalities and 32,041 injuries in 2002. In Los Angeles County, 271 people were killed and 7,702 were injured in alcohol-related crashes in 2003, compared to 234 fatalities and 7,711 injuries in 2002.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on December 22, 2004. Read the original PDF.