Driving when impaired by alcohol or other substances over the St. Patrick’s Day weekend is going to cost four individuals a lot of green.

They were caught by a stepped up DUI enforcement operation funded by a state traffic safety grant that placed Manteca Police officers on the streets Saturday and Sunday during peak times that impaired driving typically takes place.

The cost of a DUI and subsequent conviction on a first-time offense in Caloifornia, according to various legal firms that handle such cases, typically is between $8,000 and $25,000.

The costs are basically out of pocket as they are not covered by insurance.

The breakdown includes:

*Fines up to $1,000.

*$500 to $1,000 in towing and impound fees.

*Increased car insurance premiums (over a three-year period) of $3,000 to $6,000.

*$3,000 to $15,000 in lawyer fees depending upon the complexity of the case.

*DUI school cost of $500 to $800.

*$125 fee for reinstatement of DMV driver’s license.

*$350 to $500 for an ignition interlock device.

*Required $140 payment to victim restitution fund.

The officers made 52 stops.

In addition to the four DUI arrests, there were 28 citations made for various moving violations.

One stop led to a felony gun arrest.

Officers also conducted 29 standardized field sobriety tests.

The state funds targeted enforcement during peak DUI times — such as holiday weekends — in a bid to reduce not just accidents but deaths and serious injuries.

The grants basically cover overtime for departments to assign officers to targeted DUI salutation patrols and from time-to-time sobriety check points.

The officers assigned to the saturation patrol were also called on to assist in the response to Saturday’s 11:20 p.m. shooting in the parking lot outside the Rusty Hook bar, Yosemite and Powers avenues.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyat@mantecabulletin.com