Law enforcement agencies ready for Independence Day weekend

BARSTOW • Local law enforcement agencies will be out in force during the Fourth of July weekend.

The Barstow Police Department, San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department and California Highway Patrol are all preparing for increased traffic and criminal activity this week.

Stopping drunk drivers will be a priority for law enforcement during the holiday weekend. City spokesman John Rader said the Barstow Police Department will have extra officers on duty and will be concentrating on finding drunk drivers. The sheriff’s department will be looking for impaired drivers and people who are intoxicated in public at the Fourth of July celebrations in Barstow and Newberry Springs, according to Sgt. Tim Lotspeich.

“When there are large crowds at events on holiday weekends we tend to see a lot of drinking and disorderly conduct fights,” Lotspeich said. “It’s a combination of too many people and too much alcohol.”

Lotspeich also said the Barstow sheriff’s station’s off-highway vehicle enforcement team would be helping the Barstow Police Department deal with motorcycles and other  off-road vehicles during the weekend.

The sheriff’s department and police department will also be on the lookout for illegal fireworks.

Rader said that anyone interested in fireworks can enjoy a free fireworks display at 9 p.m. on Saturday at the Robert A. Sessions Memorial Sportspark. The Newberry Springs Community Service District will host a fireworks display  at 9 p.m. on Friday at the Community Service Building at 30884 Newberry Road.

The Fourth of July weekend is also a maximum enforcement period for the CHP, according to officer Taj Johnson. The maximum enforcement period begins at 6 p.m. Friday and ends at midnight on Sunday. All available officers will be on patrol across the state during the maximum enforcement period.

Contact the writer:
(760) 256-4126 or dheldreth@desertdispatch.com

California Highway Patrol 2008 Independence Day facts
41 deaths in automobile accidents in the state
1 person not wearing a helmet died in a motorcycle accident in the state
1,684 people arrested for driving under the influence in the state