Police

Sacramento County Sheriff Scott Jones plunged into the ALS "Ice Bucket Challenge" Sunday, posting a video on Facebook with a challenge to several area police chiefs, including Chief Christopher Boyd of the Citrus Heights Police Department. “Could you have poured that any slower?” the sheriff is seen in the video asking his deputies behind him, who took nearly five seconds to pour about 20 gallons of ice water on their boss. A spokesperson for CHPD said that Chief Boyd already did an Ice Bucket Challenge several weeks ago, and was unsure if the Chief planned to respond to the Sheriff's latest challenge.

Warning of a “sophisticated phone scam” was sent out Thursday by the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department, alerting county residents of a scammer claiming to be with the Sheriff's Warrant division, who threatens arrest for an alleged outstanding warrant – if payment is not made immediately.

Citrus Heights police officers netted three arrests during a DUI/Driver’s License Checkpoint at Antelope Road and Lauppe Lane from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m, Friday. A total of 767 vehicles were screened during the six-hour checkpoint, resulting in the arrest of a DUI-alcohol suspect, a DUI-drug impaired suspect and another arrest for possession/transportation of illegal drugs, according to a press release by the Citrus Heights Police Department. 10 drivers were also cited for driving without a valid license, and three vehicles were impounded, along with issuance of 13 citations. Citing data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the Department's press release said “Checkpoints have provided the most effective documented results of any of the DUI enforcement strategies, while also yielding considerable cost savings of $6 for every $1 spent.”

Police officers plan to set up a DUI Checkpoint at an undisclosed location this weekend, as part of an effort to reduce the number of alcohol-related accidents and fatalities, according to a press release issued by the Citrus Heights Police Department. Officers from the CHPD Traffic Unit will be stopping drivers who pass through the checkpoint and checking for signs of alcohol and/or drug impairment, beginning Friday at 7 p.m. and continuing until 2 a.m. Officers will also be checking for valid driver's licenses, and "will strive to delay motorists only momentarily," according to the release. CHPD acquires funding for its checkpoints through a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and has found the results to be successful -- with the Department reporting that its last checkpoint resulted in two DUI-suspect arrests, 15 citations and three impounded vehicles. The six-hour checkpoint was held on August 1 and screened 820 cars at the intersection of Greenback Lane and Birdcage Street.

"Zero tolerance" is what the Citrus Heights Police Dept. is promising, as it joins a month-long enforcement and education campaign to curb hand-held cellphone use while driving. The campaign is part of April's nationwide "Distracted Driving Awareness Month," and seeks to emphasize that phone calls and texts aren't worth the risk of getting into an accident and endangering ones self or others, according to a press release by CHPD. The National Safety Council estimates that over 275,000 cellphone-involved crashes have occurred this year, and an Insurance Institute for Highway Safety study found that drivers using their phones are four times more likely to get into an injury collision.

The California Police Chiefs Association will install Citrus Heights Police Chief Christopher Boyd as president of the state-wide organization on February 26.