A report by California Watch documents the dramatic increase last year in the number of vehicle impoundments by California law enforcement agencies.
2010 was dubbed the "Year of the Checkpoint" by law enforcement throughout the state. With funding support coming from the California Office of Traffic Safety, police agencies conducted more than 2,500 checkpoints, which require drivers to stop and show their licenses.
The primary purpose of these controlled traffic stops is to check drivers for signs of intoxication. The data show, however, that for each person arrested for DUI, six vehicles were impounded.
The California Watch report claims that part of this increase - over 17,000 vehicles were impounded last year - can be explained by the financial incentive local agencies have to impound cars. Often, municipalities will charge drivers a fee to have their vehicles released from impound and will get a portion of the towing fees.
It should be noted that several cities - including San Jose, Oakland, and Berkeley - have changed their checkpoint policies to try to lessen the difference between their figures for DUI citation and vehicle impoundment.
