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# Trying to be an influence
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/trying-to-be-an-influence/
- Published: 2007-12-17T16:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-25T01:30:54.000Z
- Author: Kevin Herrera
- Tags: Crime, Santa Monica, #archive-import

*Drivers on PCH got some sobering news amid DUI checkpoint*

Cars were lined up for about a quarter of a mile on Pacific Coast Highway Saturday night as Santa Monica police officers and volunteers directed three out of every 10 drivers into a beach parking lot for a sobriety checkpoint.

It was the second such checkpoint the SMPD has conducted since receiving a $250,000 grant from the Office of Traffic Safety in Sacramento. The grant helps pay the salaries of the 19 officers and 10 traffic service officers conducting the checkpoint, as well as equipment like orange cones and radar guns.

The first checkpoint was held in October on Lincoln Boulevard. Officers screened 270 cars, with two drivers going to jail for a “deuce,” the term officers use for someone driving under the influence.

PCH is nothing like Lincoln, said Sgt. Larry Horn, a 29-year-veteran of the SMPD and a former motorcycle cop who is now in charge of investigating major accidents and overseeing the traffic division.

As he drove through the checkpoint to give members of the press a closer look at the operation, Horn spoke about the reputation PCH has for being a dangerous stretch of road that is heavily traveled, meaning more chances to catch an impaired driver in the act. He guessed that well over 1,700 cars would pass through the checkpoint, which was set up around 8 p.m. with a closing time scheduled for 12:30 a.m.

50F,“I expect us to have a pretty busy night,” said Horn, a tall man with glasses and a bald head, which he had to cover with a black baseball cap because of the cold ocean breeze. “PCH is synonymous with accidents. We’ve had 47 crashes so far this year on PCH. It definitely has a reputation for speed. When I was on patrol here, I would routinely cite people for going 70 to 80 (mph). The speed limit is 45 (mph).”

No one was able to drive that fast Saturday night, as two of the three southbound lanes were closed so that drivers could be funneled into the checkpoint. Signs were placed up the road to warn drivers about what was coming up ahead. Cops on relatively new BMW motorcycles roamed the other side of the highway, watching for people who may try to make an illegal U-turn to avoid the checkpoint.

Officers dressed in heavy coats to ward off the cold allowed 10 cars to pass before instructing three drivers to stop and pull into the beach lot to have their license checked. When traffic starts backing up, Horn has his officers change to a 2-to-15 ratio. Horn understands that while it is important to hold the checkpoint, especially during the holiday season, he knows that he cannot afford to create a traffic jam that makes some drivers testy and puts his officers at greater risk.

5A7,“Some people have a little attitude, like ‘Why do I have to sit through this?’” Horn said. “But most people are cooperative and appreciate what we’re doing … During the holiday season, we know there are a lot of people who are going to be driving under the influence. We want to have a presence out there and get people to think twice getting behind the wheel and consider getting a taxi or a designated driver.”

It wasn’t long before the first impaired driver was spotted. The driver was a man who appeared to be in his mid-40s operating a silver four-door sedan with his wife and child on board. Officers noticed his red and watery eyes and asked him to step out of the car for a sobriety test that included the standard walking of the line and balancing on one foot — two things this driver couldn’t do without stumbling.

After a few minutes, that driver was placed under arrest for driving under the influence. As soon as the handcuffs came out, so did the drivers’ wife, who verbally challenged the officers.

“I’m an attorney,” she said repeatedly. “He’s entitled to representation right now … I want to represent him.”

The wife appeared to have had a little liquid courage pumping through her veins. Horn, who was standing underneath a portable heater with some of his officers and employees with a private security company, approached the woman and spent about five minutes trying to clam her down and get her to understand the situation.

5E4,“He opted for a blood test, so we’ll take him down to (Santa Monica-UCLA) hospital and then he’ll spend some time in jail,” Horn said. “He’ll be able to post bail in about four to six hours.” subhed

No matter how much money and time is spent on educating people about the dangers of drunk driving, people still do it every day, resulting in the deaths of nearly 1,411 Californians each year — an average of four per day, according to Mothers Against Drunk Driving, which provided the department with pamphlets that were handed out Saturday night, along with candy canes and refrigerator magnets warning against drinking and driving.

More than 32,000 Californians are injured every year because of someone driving while impaired, an average of 88 per day.

“Unfortunately, the best way to reach people is to have someone close to them be a victim,” Horn said. “That seems to be the best deterrent. The most frustrating thing is the repeat offenders. These are people who have three or four drunk driving arrests and they still continue to break the law and put people at risk.”

Another driver was doing just that by riding around with an empty, 22-ounce Corona bottle in his mini-van. Officers placed the bottle on the roof of the van and had the driver, an Hispanic man who appeared to be in his mid-30s, follow a light with his eyes. It was unclear if the man finished the Corona bottle that evening or in the days prior to the checkpoint. What was clear is that he was going to be placed under arrest.

7BE,“We’re looking for people with red, watery eyes, slurred speech,” Horn said. “We really just want to talk with them, ask for their license. You’d be surprised what you get instead. I’ve had people hand me their Mobile (gas) card or their library card.”

When he was on patrol, Horn said his favorite test of sobriety was to have drivers write out the alphabet on a piece of paper. Before writing, Horn will ask the driver about their education. Some would write the same letters multiple times or write illegibly.

“There was nothing better than showing up in court with that piece of paper and their signature on it,” Horn said.

DUIs aren’t the only things officers are looking for during the checkpoints. They are also looking for those who are driving without a license or on a suspended license and people with warrants.

During Saturday’s operation, at least one driver and his family had to take a cab home because he was driving without a license. The family, which included a young boy and an elderly woman, took what they could out of the trunk and placed it in the cab and drove off. They had to pay for the cab and for the tow.

Horn said he would prefer it if no citations were issued or arrests made, but he knows that’s not the reality, especially during this time of the year. Officers will be out in force looking for impaired drivers, especially on Christmas and New Year’s Eve.

“Just because we make no arrest doesn’t mean there are not drunk drivers out there,” Horn said. “We can’t screen everyone, but if we just make one or two arrests, all of this is worth it. That means one or two drunk drivers who are not on the roads, creating a possibly deadly situation.”

“During the holiday season we know there are a lot of people who are going to be driving under the influence. We want to have a presence out there and get people to think twice getting behind the wheel and consider getting a taxi or a designated driver.”

Sgt. Larry Horn, SMPD.

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on December 17, 2007.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/121707.pdf?ref=smdp.com)