Published: March 21, 2008 03:26 pm         

DUI checkpoint scheduled for this weekend

PICAYUNE — Pearl River County residents planning on crossing the state line this weekend should be aware DUI checkpoints will be set up in St. Tammany Parish.

Louisiana State Police Troop L is setting up DUI checkpoints beginning Friday March 21, at 10 p.m. in St. Tammany Parish, according to a press release from the department.

Every year numerous people are killed or seriously injured as a result of impaired drivers, the release states. Sobriety checkpoints are effective tools because they serve as a deterrent to impaired and drunken driving.

The task of stopping impaired drivers will be a joint effort of law enforcement agencies and the public. The troop asks for public assistance by not allowing people to leave their homes in an impaired state. They also ask the public to report suspected impaired drivers to their local law enforcement agencies.

The Louisiana State Police can be reached via cell phone by dialing *LSP (*577). The Picayune Police Department can be reached by calling 601-798-7411 and the Pearl River County Sheriff’s Department can be reached by dialing 601-795-2241.