Revelers looking to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day this year might want to take note — there will be a DUI checkpoint in San Luis Obispo on March 17.

Officers from the Morro Bay Police Department, the Arroyo Grande Police Department, Cal Poly Police Department, San Luis Obispo Sheriff’s Department, California Highway Patrol and State Parks will be conducting a DUI checkpoint Wednesday between 9 p.m. and 3 a.m. 2010, on the 800 block of Foothill Boulevard in San Luis Obispo.

“The goal of this DUI checkpoint is to raise motorists’ awareness of the dangers of drunk driving and the police department’s effort to combat this serious crime. DUI collisions continue to have devastating impacts on the lives of thousands of innocent victims, their families and friends. We want to convey to all that drinking and driving is the entire community’s problem,” according to a press release issued by Sergeant Jeff Booth of the San Luis Obispo Traffic Safety Unit.

Officers at the DUI checkpoint will screen motorists as they pass through the DUI checkpoint. The drivers who are arrested for driving under the influence will have their driver’s license suspended as prescribed by law. Those drivers found to be driving without a valid license, or with a suspended license, will have the car they are driving impounded for 30 days. If an unlicensed driver is caught driving your car, you may be responsible for paying up to 30 days of storage fees.

Funding for this DUI checkpoint was provided by the Office of Traffic Safety.

Anonymous information may be referred to Crime Stopper @ (805) 549-STOP.

The exact location of Friday's DUI Checkpoint is undisclosed; it will take place in San Luis Obispo from 9 p.m. to 3 a.m. Courtesy photo.

Friday night might be a nice finish to a long week, but for some it means the onset of a criminal record for drinking and driving.

The San Luis Obispo Police Department and the Cal Poly University Police Department are joining efforts to conduct a DUI checkpoint in San Luis Obispo. The checkpoint will be held on Friday, January 22, 2010, between the hours of 9 p.m. and 3 a.m. at an undisclosed location.

Officers at the DUI checkpoint will be looking for drivers who are under the influence of alcohol.

San Luis Obispo Police  Sergeant Jeff Booth, of the traffic safety uni,  is the supervisor in charge at the Friday checkpoint.

“The goal of this DUI checkpoint is to raise motorists’ awareness of the dangers of drunk driving and the San Luis Obispo Police Department effort to combat this serious crime,” he said.  “DUI collisions continue to have devastating impacts on the lives of thousands of innocent victims, their families and friends. We want to convey to all that drinking and driving is the entire community’s problem.”

The fine for a first offense is $1,755. If your Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) is .15 percent  to .19 percent the normal jail sentence is five days in custody. If your BAC is .20 percent or greater, or if you refuse to take a chemical test, the normal jail sentence will be longer, normally 10 days in custody. Other factors may also be considered in the setting the jail sentence.

What is further sobering is that the vehicle owner could be financially responsible for paying up to 30 days of storage fees if the driver is unlicensed.

The San Luis Obispo Police Department urges anyone who has been drinking not to drive. Instead, designate a sober driver, call for a ride  or walk; but do not get behind the wheel of a vehicle.

Funding for this DUI checkpoint is provided by the Safer California Grant.

Two Cal Poly students put together their senior projects in attempt to slow the trend in San Luis Obispo.

Social science seniors Alex Iversen and KC Chaffee said they have imagined Flipside as a way to educate Cal Poly students on the ‘flip side’ of a weekend of partying.

“We know that there are general things that are normal for students to see at a party/bar, and we want to show them the realities of the things that they do not see and tend not to worry about,” Iversen said.

Chaffee said she hoped Flipside would be a chance for students to learn about the consequences of DUI, sexual assault, alcohol poisoning, addiction and many other problems that often get overlooked in a weekend of partying.

Why the desire to promote alcohol education? Chaffee and Iversen have been working closely with the Drug and Alcohol Services of San Luis Obispo County while at Cal Poly.

“We have seen and heard firsthand [about the] negative effects alcohol use and abuse can have on students,” Chaffee said. “Flipside is a chance for Cal Poly students to be educated on the consequences of alcohol use for themselves and the community at large.”

Iversen pointed out the correlation between alcohol abuse and its role in such things as being cited for DUI, alcohol poisoning, sexual assault and many other issues.

Working with Chaffee, Iversen had his plan put into action Oct. 28 when Flipside was showcased in the Chumash Auditorium.  Stephen Lamb, the Associate Director, Student Life & Leadership and advisor to the Interfraternity Council at Cal Poly, made attendance at Flipside necessary for all new fraternity members.

Iversen said that the project’s goal is to answer important questions regarding alcohol abuse. The Flipside event was set up to offer vital information on alcohol-related issues, including the cost of a DUI, determining when friends have consumed too much alcohol and dealing with sexual assault.

“It is our hope that by sharing the knowledge these speakers bring to the table, together we can make our community a safer and healthier place to live,” Chaffee said.

Flipside is a response to the general attitude the two have noticed in regard to alcohol, Iversen said.

“We realize that drinking is a socially accepted part of the college experience and its unsafe use is often touted as the college experience,” he added.

Iversen hopes that the Flipside presentation will continue to provide Cal Poly students with useful resources relating to alcohol issues. He hopes that the presentation will be used annually to educate students and provide alternatives to weekend  alcohol use.

Chaffee said that she and Iversen will be writing up a report on the project’s implementation and are hoping that Flipside becomes an annual event.

Lamb has been working with Iversen and Chaffee to create an effective awareness event for all new pledges at Cal Poly this year.

“Our goal (in supporting Flipside) was to ensure that there was consistent and accurate information given to the new fraternity men regarding alcohol, the state of community relations as it connects with alcohol, and the physiological responses of alcohol, so that everybody had the same information,” Lamb said.

Though most of the participants were men, some sorority members attended as well. Lamb called the turnout “phenomenal” saying that a panel guided the discussion, which included some questions from the audience. The panel included medical representatives, experts on the relation between sexual issues and alcohol abuse, a representative from the UPD, Dr. Bisheff  and RN Sue Fortier from Sierra Vista Emergency Room, Drug and Alcohol Services and Chief Deb Linden of the San Luis Obispo Police Department.

Flipside was kicked off on Wednesday with the premiere of a movie that focused on Carson Starkey, a Cal Poly freshman who died last year from alcohol poisoning while pledging a local fraternity. Lamb said the showing “framed the evening.”

He characterized the event as highly successful in terms of attendance: over 700 individuals showed up, to a standing-room-only crowd. 

“We’ve always had a component of new member information,” Lamb said. “Now we have a model that we will absolutely replicate in the future.”

For local students celebrating one final week of summer vacation with alcohol-filled events, police want to send the message that drunken behavior won’t be tolerated. Students should expect an increased police presence and DUI checkpoints both on-campus and around town for the next few weeks.

“Since Saturday, we’re up to 20 arrests for DUI and Drunk in Public,” said University Police Department Chief Bill Watton. “Most issues are with continuing students partying the week before school starts, although a few incidents involve freshmen.” Watton added that his department would work with San Luis Obispo Police Department to crack down on alcohol-related incidents by increasing police department throughout town.

While campus and local police step up patrols, area hospitals area also seeing an increase in traffic  during Cal Poly’s Week of Welcome (WOW)festivities. Sierra Vista Regional Medical Center spokesperson Ron Yukelson said that the hospital had seen a “sharp spike” in alcohol-related incidents since WOW began, even treating one individual who had a blood alcohol content of .38.

Yukelson said the hospital wants to combat the fear and anxiety some students might feel about seeking medical help for friends or loved ones. “It’s very important to bring in friends and loved ones who are severely intoxicated—don’t let them sleep or put them to bed—bring them in,” he said.

Furthermore, Yukelson stressed the hospital’s ‘safe zone’ policy, which protects underage drinkers from police intervention.

“We’re a safe zone, so you don’t need to worry about us calling your parents or the police,” he said.

The office of university president Warren Baker sent a campus-wide email Wednesday informing students of acceptable partying practices, encouraging them to keep gatherings under control by calling campus police if they see illegal behavior.

The e-mail urged students to make “wise and responsible choices” including checking IDs at the door of parties to ensure no underage individuals are drinking alcohol.