As we recently reported, Huntington Beach takes the pathetic No. 1 spot in 2009 California DUI collisions among cities of its size.
In an effort to tackle the issue, the Huntington Beach Police Department is pointing its finger at individual bars. Officers have been asking those arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence
where they were drinking before they got in the car, and the department has added up the numbers. A state investigation is under way on the top offender, the Huntington Beach Independent reports.
See which watering holes place in the Top 3 after the jump. Any bets?
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Baja Sharkeez in downtown Huntington Beach came in first, with 72 DUI arrests during a 22-month period.
Hurricanes Bar & Grill was second, with 52 drunk drivers,
and Killarney Pub & Grill was third, with 33 during the same period.
The Department of Alcohol Beverage Control is investigating Sharkeez after Police Chief Ken Small sent a letter to the state department's district administrator, the Independent reports.
“I believe the ownership and management of the establishment represent,
at best, an indifferent attitude toward public safety,” Small wrote.
But Sharkeez owner Ron Newman believes the bar is being targeted simply due to its popularity. He told the Independent, “What happens on the highway we cannot control. We don't
serve anybody that's overly intoxicated. I can't tell if you had two or
three drinks. If you're not obviously intoxicated, we can't tell. If
someone is obviously intoxicated, we cut them off.”
