LAPD Launches Months-Long DWI Checkpoints and Patrols in Los Alamos

The Los Alamos Police Department announced it will run months-long DWI operations across Los Alamos County, deploying checkpoints, saturation patrols and targeted enforcement focused on drunk or impaired driving and underage drinking. The joint effort with the Los Alamos County DWI program is scheduled to begin on February 26, 2026 and continue over the coming months.

The operations include fixed checkpoints (roadblocks), mobile saturation patrols and targeted enforcement details aimed at identified problem areas in the county, according to the announcement made Feb 26, 2026. The Los Alamos County DWI program will coordinate timing and staffing with LAPD toward a sustained enforcement cadence rather than single one-off events.

Practical impacts for drivers in Los Alamos County will include more frequent stops at planned checkpoints and an increased patrol presence on county streets and near known late-night gatherings. The program specifically names enforcement aimed at underage drinking in addition to impaired driving, reflecting a dual focus on driver safety and youth alcohol possession and consumption.

LAPD and the county DWI program framed the months-long schedule as a preventive and enforcement strategy designed to reduce impaired-driving incidents in Los Alamos County. Residents and visitors can expect checkpoints and saturation patrols throughout the program period; officers will use those operations to identify and remove impaired drivers and enforce underage alcohol laws.

The announcement did not list exact checkpoint locations or a public calendar of patrol dates. Los Alamos Police Department and the Los Alamos County DWI program indicated the operations will be ongoing through the coming months, with details released as specific checkpoints and patrols are planned. Community members who travel evening or weekend routes in Los Alamos County should plan for possible delays and consider sober-ride options while the enforcement campaign is active.