Saratoga News Avoid the 13 holiday campaign continues downturn in DUIs By Michelle Alaimo Saratoga and Los Gatos kept consistent with a countywide nosedive in drunken driving arrests during the annual Avoid the 13 campaign Dec. 18-Jan. 3. The Los Gatos-Monte Sereno Police Department made eight driving-under-the-influence arrests during this year's campaign while officials at the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Westside Substation reported 34 DUI arrests in the West Valley area. Countywide, arrests were down 32 percent with 669 DUI suspects arrested during the 17-day effort. Injury accidents were also down 48 percent in Santa Clara County, with one of the accidents occurring in Los Gatos, according to Sgt. Michael Yorks of LG-MSPD. Although injury accidents were down this year, the campaign did experience its first DUI-related death in three years when Sunnyvale resident Justin Osborne was killed in an accident in San Jose. Despite the death, Yorks said the campaign and the numerous DUI checkpoints throughout the county are successful in deterring drunk drivers. "Anytime you reduce the number of DUI arrests, you reduce the number of DUI-related accidents," Yorks said. Sgt. Mitch Becerra of the Campbell Police Department agreed. "Finally more and more people are becoming aware of the ramifications of drinking and driving," Becerra said. The LG-MSPD assisted Campbell officers with a sobriety checkpoint on Dec. 18 on Hamilton Avenue at Creekside Way in Campbell. That night, the two police departments, along with the West Valley-Mission Community College District Police Department, the San Jose State University Police Department and Sheriff's department screened 1,193 cars, Becerra said. The group netted four DUI arrests, one warrant arrest and one drunk in public arrest. However, some other local arrests did not come from any checkpoints. Yorks recalls one arrest that was made after several residents reported seeing a woman dressed in a Santa Claus costume who was barhopping and driving drunk. Yorks said some concerned residents followed her to a bar and then detained her until police arrived. He added that her blood alcohol was twice the legal limit of 0.08. [ Back to Contents Page | Saratoga News Home Page | Archives ] This article appeared in the Saratoga News, January 13, 1999. ©1999 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.