Open letter to Cmdr. Ed Pendergast, Capt. Timothy Curran and Lt. Alex Dominguez

Numerous cities in San Diego County and throughout California now conduct vehicle checkpoints as well as sobriety checkpoints. Vista is the latest to adopt checkpoint policy. We need to have these checkpoints conducted in Fallbrook.

Not a day goes by that I [do not] see numerous vehicles driving without current registration, many years delinquent. When someone fails to register their vehicle, it also means the driver has no insurance and possibly no current driver’s license, which is a hazard for all the other law-abiding drivers who honor their responsibility as citizens of California to comply with the laws of the state.

Currently in Fallbrook, we are at a disadvantage in regards to law enforcement with four officers per shift to cover over 110 miles of area; response times are slow. For traffic, we have one California Highway Patrol officer to handle traffic and accidents. That area is far larger and response times can take upwards of an hour if they respond at all.

We need to get these unregistered and unlicensed vehicles off the road to ensure public safety and public good. The state is in financial crisis; people are hurting and having their vehicle damaged by an unlicensed and uninsured driver could cost the law-abiding driver higher insurance rates and massive medical bills as a result of an accident.

These unlicensed and uninsured drivers need to pay their fair share and comply with California law; otherwise, they should no longer be allowed to drive on our roadways.

Ray Carney