Ventura Police Department
On July 20 & 21, the Ventura Police Department will have officers out in the downtown area to educate the public on how important it is to “know your limit.”
The “Know Your Limit” program is intended to inform community members on how little it takes to reach the legal limit for blood alcohol content (BAC), which is .08% in all states but Utah, where the BAC is .05%.
The campaign will be from 12:30 pm to 4:30 pm. During this time, officers will invite volunteers to take a breathalyzer test to see if they can guess their BAC. Those participating are asked how many drinks they had and whether they believe they are safe to drive. Following the test, officers educate those out drinking on the impacts of alcohol on one’s ability to drive, and the consequences of a DUI.
“The goal is to help people understand the effects of alcohol so they can make smart decisions about how they get home after a night of drinking,” said Officer Compean. “It only takes a few drinks to impair, and that’s why it is so critical that people know when not to drive.”
A person’s height, weight, food intake, drug and/or medication use and how much they drink over a time period are all factors that affect BAC. According to the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission, it takes two drinks consumed within one hour by a 120-pound woman and four drinks by a 180-pound man to be at the legal limit. One drink is based on 1.5 oz. of liquor (40% alcohol), 12 oz. of beer (4.5% alcohol) or a 5 oz. glass of wine (12% alcohol). The body lowers your BAC at a rate of .015% every hour.
The average cost of a DUI arrest is approximately $13,500, accounting for vehicle impound fees, fines, attorney fees, auto insurance hikes and other penalties. Please plan ahead and avoid risking a DUI by designating a sober driver.
Funding for the “Know Your Limit” program is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
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Wouldn’t it be more effective if it were conducted say from 1930 to 0000 or 0300? Are there really that many drunks downtown at noon on Saturday and Sunday?
Or is it that the VPD doesn’t really like to be downtown after dark?
I can remember when Bill Colston was Chief. He was attempting to convince the downtown merchants that the statistics proved that downtown was as safe as any other area in town. I told him that wasn’t the perception and the perception equaled reality. He poo-poo’d that comment until he got home and his wife informed him that we were right. Downtown wasn’t safe and there was no way she would ever go downtown after dark.
Bill had the honesty to come back the next month and report his wife’s comments to us and admit that we were right, that the perception was that downtown wasn’t safe and perception was reality. While he was addressing our group a lady wandered through the restaurant from the back door to the front door. She had on only a top and was sans garments from the waist down. She waived gaily to all and proceeded on her way. Quick call from the chief got some equally quick patrol action.
Later cops appeared walking foot patrol. Two cops walking side by side. Of course they were young, husky, armed with sidearm, pepper spray, baton, radio, helmet, bullet resistant vest, steel toed boots, perhaps a sap in a back pocket, a combat folder clipped to a side pocket and a hideout gun strapped to their ankle.
When I suggested that better coverage could be achieved if the cops patrolled separately, one on Main Street and one on Santa Clara or Thompson, I was told that officer safety dictated that two officers patrol together. I asked what lesson that told the 78 year old female shopper who perhaps had some physical disability, that for officer safety, fully armed, youthful officers had to patrol in pairs for safety.
A little while later I noticed that officers were patrolling singly but that didn’t last very long.
So once again, I suggest that the program would be more effective after dark and after the patrons have had a chance to hoist a few.