Huntington Beach To Post Names Of Drunk Drivers On Facebook

With 274 alcohol-related accidents and 1,687 DUI arrests last year, Huntington Beach city officials have arrived at a rather creative method of shaming drunk drivers: posting their names on the city’s Facebook page. In the past, the local newspaper, the Huntington Beach Independent, recorded the arrests, as such information is public; however, since this ceased in December, police have been searching for a new medium to serve this purpose, explains an Orange County injury lawyer. 

In 2008, the city accounted for the third highest DUI rate in Orange County. To date, police have been combating the problem with DUI checkpoints, by notifying the bars or restaurants where offenders had their last drink, and by participating in Every 15 Minutes programs in schools. Police point to drinking establishments on Main Street in the downtown area as the providers of that last drink for many of those arrested. 

Here are some statistics on the problem:

There are 220 establishments in possession of active liquor licenses in the city.

Restaurants account for 200 of those licenses.

53 were approved before 2000.

26 are located on Main Street.

Huntington Beach City Attorney Jennifer McGrath is expected to review the proposal to post the names of drunk drivers on Facebook.

The Los Angeles Times and the Huntington Beach Independent were the sources of the information in this article.

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