DUI checkpoint at 17th Street will be Thursday

Costa Mesa police will have a DUI checkpoint from 6 p.m. to midnight Thursday, looking for drivers under the influence and people driving without a valid license.

The checkpoint is scheduled to be at eastbound 17th Street and Westminster Avenue.

Police say driving under the influence is the nation’s most frequently committed violent crime, killing someone every 30 minutes. This year alone, more than 600 drivers have been arrested for driving under the influence in Costa Mesa.

The checkpoint is meant to educate the public about the dangers of driving impaired or without a valid license, said Sgt. Robert Sharpnack.

Costa Mesa police also work with Mothers Against Drunk Driving and the Orange County Health Care Agency to create tasks forces to educate drivers and businesses serving alcohol.

The checkpoint is one of the last Costa Mesa police will be conducting with funding from a California Office of Traffic Safety grant, police said.

Nearly a dozen vehicles were impounded at a checkpoint in mid-August, with 22 drivers being cited.

— Joseph Serna