40 holiday DUI arrests

Huntington Beach Police arrested 40 people for driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol over the busy New Year’s weekend, which marked the rollout of the department’s new DUI team.

“We had a lot of arrests over the [New Year’s] weekend,” Sgt. Steve Bushhousen said. “The DUI team was responsible for 12 of those.”

The two-officer team is dedicated solely to DUI stops and has more time to spend on them, Bushhousen said. It also means two extra officers are available if those in the field need assistance, he said.

The two officers will also serve warrants to people who have not faced their charges in court or completed DUI classes, Bushhousen said.