Revelers warned to keep safe

No special driving under the influence enforcement is planned over the New Year’s holiday, local authorities said, but additional officers will be on duty watching out for revelers breaking the law.

 In Willows, the police department is still doing saturation patrols, with two to three extra officers on duty at night to watch for DUI drivers, according to Willows Police Chief Bill Spears.

Willows has no DUI checkpoints planned, Spears said, since those are coordinated through the Orland Police Department as part of the “Avoid the Five” campaign.

Arrest numbers in Willows have not changed from those estimated earlier in December, Spears said, when he suggested his officers were getting one or two DUI arrests a night around Christmas.

However, Glenn County DUI arrests are listed at 45 from Dec. 12 to Dec. 29, said Orland Police Sgt. Terry Baker.

He said no DUI checkpoints are planned in Orland for New Year’s Eve and Jan. 1, but extra officers will be on the streets at night looking for intoxicated motorists.

  Glenn County Sheriff Larry Jones said the county’s maximum enforcement period of DUI violations will stay in effect until Jan. 3.

“People are just not getting the message,” Jones said. “Please don’t drink and drive. You’re going to go to jail, no ifs, ands or buts about it.”

Jones said the New Year holiday usually provides a special occasion for people to consume alcohol who normally do not drink.

“People think they’re fine to drive, but they’re not,” Jones said. “One tragedy can ruin many lives.”

Jones said every time a deputy helps take a drunk driver off the streets, he publicly credits that deputy for saving a life.

“Just plan a head a little, get a designated driver, don’t endanger yourself or others,” Jones said.

The Willows office of the California Highway Patrol is participating in the Interstate 5 Pacific Coast Public Safety Project with heavy enforcement along I-5 in Glenn County, said Officer Joyce Dicharry.

“We will be looking at speed, (seatbelt) restraint, commercial violations and DUI,” Dicharry said.

CHP counterparts in Colusa and Tehama counties will do the same in their jurisdictions, she said.

In Colusa County, CHP Lt. Doug Uhlik said active patrols along I-5 and Highway 20 will place an emphasis on speeders, seatbelt and child safety seat usage and DUI.

The City of Colusa is adding extra patrols, too, said Colusa Police Chief Lyle Montgomery. The patrols will be out tonight.

“We usually do it then because of the nature of the holiday,” Montgomery said. “You have more people drinking and for safety reasons we have more officers.”

He said his department participated in a DUI checkpoint with Williams police a couple of weeks ago and it assists the Marysville Police Department periodically, but does not plan on DUI checkpoints locally this holiday.

The same is true with the Colusa County Sheriff’s Office, which helped in Williams and in Marysville this month.

TCN reporter Rob Parsons contributed to this story.