File photo.

The Long Beach Police Department will conduct a DUI checkpoint on Friday, March 18 to deter drivers from driving impaired, police announced Monday.

The checkpoint will be take place from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. somewhere in the city’s West Patrol Division, which includes the Port of Long Beach, the area west of the 710 Freeway and a large portion of Central Long Beach. According to the LBPD, checkpoint locations are chosen based on a history of DUI crashes and arrests.

At the checkpoint, officers will look for signs that drivers are under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs including prescription medication and marijuana, police said.

“The safety of our community is and always will be our mission,” Sgt. Steve Smock said in a statement. “We are still out there looking for impaired drivers because driving under the influence is still dangerous.”

Drivers charged with operating a vehicle while impaired may face an average of $13,500 in fines and penalties, as well as a suspended license.

Funding for the checkpoint was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

DUI checkpoint ends with 2 arrests, nearly a dozen citations