The San Diego Police Department (SDPD) Traffic Unit arrested 16 people for suspected drunken driving on the 2600 block of Ingraham Street at a DUI checkpoint, which began operation Dec. 10 at 9 p.m. The checkpoint remained open until 4 a.m. on Dec. 11 and also resulted in the arrest of one person for being drunk in public. Officers impounded a total of 17 cars. A school principal in the Poway Unified School District was one of those arrested for DUI, said SDPD Officer Mark McCullough. The checkpoint was made possible because of a $427,000 grant awarded to the SDPD Traffic Unit by the California Office of Traffic Safety. McCullough said the unit applied for the grant because it saw a spike in incidents last year. “It was enough that we wanted to make sure that we really came out with a full frontal assault,” McCullough said. Alcohol-impaired deaths account for the largest category of overall vehicle fatalities, despite traffic deaths having declined by 23 percent between 2007 and 2009, from 3,995 to 3,081, according to a statement from the SDPD Traffic Unit. An officer, who serves as the traffic controller, directs traffic through the checkpoints. This officer sends the first five to eight cars to enter the checkpoint down an inspection lane. The officer will send subsequent cars to the bypass lane — meaning those drivers will bypass inspection. The traffic controller will direct more drivers into the inspection lane once space allows and this method of selection will continue until it is time for the checkpoint to close. “It’s [the method] been upheld in court time and time again,” McCullough said. Prosecutors have been able to convict 100 percent of those arrested at these checkpoints, he said. San Diegans can expect to see multiple checkpoints in the coming months, including one on Dec. 31. One guideline for the grant award is that the SDPD carry out 20 DUI saturation patrols. A saturation patrol refers to one sergeant leading a team of officers who are strictly patrolling for possible DUIs. The officers’ pay is funded by the grant. “We will be out on New Year’s Day — on Jan. 1 — looking for guys and gals that are out at sports bars,” McCullough said. The location of these DUI saturations and checkpoints are not released prior to their executions.