PUBLIC SAFETY FACILITY — During the month of January, officers issued 397 tickets for driving while using a cell phone — 375 for talking and 22 for texting, police said Monday.
The SMPD has been cracking down on certain behaviors that contribute to traffic collisions. January officers focused on distracted drivers, said Santa Monica Police Sgt. Richard Lewis.
Meanwhile, four people were arrested for driving under the influence Friday and had their vehicles impounded after they passed through a sobriety checkpoint set up by the SMPD.
The checkpoint was held on the 300 block of Pico Boulevard with funding from a grant from the Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Lewis said.
A total of 1,443 vehicles passed through the checkpoint. Of those, 266 were screened by officers. Aside from the four DUI arrests, officers also arrested one person for felony drug possession and issued 17 citations — four for being an unlicensed driver and 13 for various vehicle code violations, Lewis said.
kevinh@www.smdp.com
