The expensive zip code where more people are arrested for driving drunk than anywhere else in the country

A disturbing crime statistic has plagued an affluent coastal California community home to multi-millionaires and their enormous mansions.

The idyllic city of Laguna Beach has seen more drunk drivers per capita over the past two decades than any other comparably sized metro in California.

In a bid to tackle the crisis, police are now sending stern warning letters to bars and restaurants where drunken customers drank their last drink before being arrested. The Los Angeles Times reported.

This controversial move has divided the wealthy community.

“People joke that we are the DUI arrest capital of California,” local business owner Heidi Miller told the LA Times. ‘But for me it’s not such a bad thing. It means that our police are on top of it.’

Shocking statistics have shown that there have been over 269 DUI arrests in Laguna Beach in 2021 alone.

Furthermore, there will have been 55 alcohol-related accidents in 2022 alone.

The exclusive zip code has a perfect storm of factors contributing to its high crime statistics.

First, the city is located between two party towns and the more than 130 drinking establishments that call Laguna Beach home.

The famous ocean view that attracts tourists has also led to what officials call “ground zero” for drunk driving.

As many as 6.5 million visitors flock to a city of just 22,000 people every year, as tourists flock to art galleries and luxury boutiques.

Mayor Alex Rounaghi defended the controversial new reporting system.

“The data shows us that this is an issue that we need to tackle and I think this is a very innovative, collaborative and data-driven way to do that,” Mayor Alex Rounaghi told the LA times.

“Anytime we can save a life and prevent future deaths, it’s important that we do so.”

But not everyone is convinced.

Ivan Spires, owner of luxury hotspots Mozambique and Skyloft, has fired back.

“It’s bureaucracy and a waste of money and time,” he told the newspaper.

He states that in crowded bars it is almost impossible to check who actually drinks the purchased rounds.

The crackdown comes as California grapples with a rise in drunk driving deaths, which skyrocketed from 966 in 2019 to a horrifying 1,370 in 2021 — including a chilling incident in nearby Huntington Beach.

Last month, officers responded to a crash in North Laguna and arrested a driver for driving under the influence.

In October, an Orange County fire cadet was struck by a drunk driver in nearby Laguna Niguel.

In one of the most horrific DUIs Laguna Beach has ever seen, a 29-year-old woman crashed into a car full of teenagers while driving more than three times the legal limit, killing all three.

The three Las Vegas teens were on spring break in 2018 when their Toyota was hit by Bani Duarte, 29, who had a blood alcohol level of 0.28 percent — more than three times the legal limit in 2018.

Duarte was sentenced in 2020 to a minimum of 51 years behind bars.

The California woman broke down in tears as she was confronted by the devastated families of Brooke Hawley, Dylan Mack and Albert ‘AJ’ Rossi during her sentencing hearing.

“I understand that you hate me and wish I were dead,” Duarte told the victims’ families. ‘You want me to suffer. I just want to say that I’m truly sorry and that maybe one day you will forgive me.’

“What I say comes from my heart,” she continued.

Duarte was found guilty in October 2020 of three counts of manslaughter and one count of driving under the influence causing injury.

Between January and the end of December 2024, Laguna Beach police sent 75 warning letters to establishments in the city and in neighboring Orange County.

The letters do not mention names, but contain damning details: the drunk driver’s blood alcohol content, plus the exact time and location of his arrest.

This is because restaurants in Laguna Beach also share rides for customers who appear to be intoxicated.

Police Chief Jeff Calvert emphasized that it is not about punishment.

“Businesses are often unaware of DUI arrests resulting from excessive serving of alcoholic beverages,” Calvert said in a statement obtained by the LA Times.

“This initiative aims to educate business owners and make our roads safer. By working together with the companies, we can prevent driving problems and the devastating consequences they often cause.

“It’s not meant to be punitive, because the entrepreneurs don’t know what they don’t know,” he explained to the LA Times. ‘It’s an opportunity for them to see if there is a pattern with certain bartenders not only supervising or receiving additional training from their bartenders, but also from their security staff.”

The wealthy seaside resort is not the first to try radical solutions.

In 2010, neighboring Huntington Beach considered publicly shaming DUI offenders by posting their names on Facebook.

Meanwhile, the problem shows no signs of slowing down.

According to DMV data, Orange County recorded more than 11,100 DUI arrests in 2019 alone.

Miller has witnessed several alcohol-induced crashes, including one where a driver crashed into the iconic Main Beach boardwalk.

For that reason, she welcomes the strict enforcement.

“We are looking out for not only our residents, but also the people traveling through our city,” Miller said.