Officers Out in Force in Hopes of Bringing in Year Safely

Law enforcement agencies in Ventura County--like their counterparts throughout the state--are gearing up for a long New Year’s holiday weekend, with plans for increased patrols to find drunk drivers, as well as celebrants who choose to welcome 1998 by shooting guns into the air.

“We’ll have maximum enforcement beginning at 6 p.m. on New Year’s Eve and lasting through midnight on Jan. 4,” said Officer Steve Reed of the California Highway Patrol. “We’ll have between 70% and 80% of our available officers on the road.”

So far, the December holiday driving season has passed without a fatality in the county, Reed said. CHP officers have responded to 15 accidents since 6 p.m. Dec. 24, five of which resulted in injuries. Officers arrested five motorists on suspicion of driving while drunk, Reed said.

“We won’t have any checkpoints, but we will have additional officers on patrol,” he said. “As far as enforcement is concerned, we find it’s more effective to have roving patrols rather than checkpoints,” where all the vehicles are stopped.

Ventura County sheriff’s deputies also plan to increase their patrols, said Capt. Keith Parks. Deputies will maintain a zero-tolerance policy regarding careless gunshots on New Year’s Eve, he said.

“We want to remind people that New Year’s is not for firearms,” he said. “People in the U.S. have been killed as a result of someone firing their guns in the air. It’s a felony. If you get caught, you will be arrested.”

Oxnard police will also increase their staff for New Year’s Eve, said Cmdr. John Crombach.

“We will aggressively enforce the laws against driving while intoxicated and firing guns,” he said. “We’ll have extra officers on the street; we’re ready for it.”

Although local cab companies do not plan to offer free rides for tipsy revelers, participating 7-Eleven stores plan to give out free coffee from 11 p.m. on New Year’s Eve to 7 a.m. the following day. The program is designed to help drowsy drivers stay awake, company officials said.