My First Protest!

[Lfpdlieu302]

well we conducted a dwi/safety checkpoint last friday and lo and behold we get our first protesters! i couldnt believe it! some lady and her two sons, one 14 and one 22. they had a big sign on the ground next to them asking "what country is this?". i (being the pot stirrer that i am) decided to go speak with them to find out what their beef was. mom was totaly rude to me not even really wanting to speak, and the 22 year old paranormal investigator (yeah, go figure) said he didnt have a problem with the police, or the validity of our checkpoint. he said their problem was the morality of what we were doing. he said it wasnt moral for us to stop people for nothing and check them for drinking. i asked him where my morals would be if i let the uninsured, ficticious tag, open container, no dl subject who was as we spoke was getting his tickets, was allowed to just drive on. of course there was no answer. i even offered them beverages and snacks and the use of our restroom facilities, they denied them and were rude. i dont know what they were thinking. it was kinda funny. i was actually going to wrap up the checkpoint at around 11 pm (we started at 8pm) but i was kinda curious to see just how long they would stay out there. at 12:30pm we got to wrapping up and they stuck it out. i walked over and thanked them for being so polite and was told that i was an un-american *******! you just cant please everyone anymore can you? lol :p

[Jynkxxie]

Well I believe we have had this protest before and our Sup. said, "Hell No!" to them.

But I don't think you are an *******. ;)

[Sgt. Saunders]

I don't think you are un-American or an a_ _ hole, but I do think these roadside safety checks are wrong. I think they do nothing but increase public hostility towards us. People should be able to come and go as they please and not be stopped by the Police out on a fishing expedition. Whatever happened to good old fashioned Police work? Had you received information that a drunk driver was going to be driving on a certain street at a certain time, them maybe I could go along with it. But the stopping of innocent people just to see what you could come up with, no I don't agree with it.

[121Traffic]

I don't think you are un-American or an a_ _ hole, but I do think these roadside safety checks are wrong. I think they do nothing but increase public hostility towards us. People should be able to come and go as they please and not be stopped by the Police out on a fishing expedition. Whatever happened to good old fashioned Police work? Had you received information that a drunk driver was going to be driving on a certain street at a certain time, them maybe I could go along with it. But the stopping of innocent people just to see what you could come up with, no I don't agree with it.

Colorado Hot Friday Nights

Last summer, we were up to around 50+ checkpoints for the state, extended to Saturdays and holidays such at the 4th, with the resulting DUI arrests reaching a goodly amount of boozers being taken off the road. These are not pedestrians going about their business, these are people exercising the privelige to drive on taxpayer funded roadways, and if they are drunk, they are endangering countless others via their wanton disregard for the safety of people who obey the law.

I am all for them. :cool:

[metallicat]

How long do you officers keep non-drinking cars at a checkstop? I am just guessing that it is seconds. I can't see you wasting time with someone who hasn't been drinking...my point is that it is hardly an inconvenience, and like DC said, I enjoy the fact that you guys and gals take drunk drivers off the road.

[Darin]

Kill 'em with kindness LT! ;) I think you should be commended for the way you treated the protesters. Good job.

[Toeknee112]

Same here...we stop every third or fourth vehicle (so it's random) but if we see something unusual we'll also stop them. Never had a protest at a checkpoint! Made me chuckle!

[Lfpdlieu302]

How long do you officers keep non-drinking cars at a checkstop? I am just guessing that it is seconds. I can't see you wasting time with someone who hasn't been drinking...my point is that it is hardly an inconvenience, and like DC said, I enjoy the fact that you guys and galf take drunk drivers off the road.

you are right! we keep them there long enough to ASK (we somtimes dont even confirn) that they have a dl, and have not been drinking. we also visually confirm that everyone who needes to have a seatbelt or child safety seat has one. each contact typically lasts 30 to 45 seconds. it truly is amazing and scary to see what you find on the road at any given time. i guess its just another damned if you do, and damned if you dont. :rolleyes:

[121Traffic]

you are right! we keep them there long enough to ASK (we somtimes dont even confirn) that they have a dl, and have not been drinking. we also visually confirm that everyone who needes to have a seatbelt or child safety seat has one. each contact typically lasts 30 to 45 seconds. it truly is amazing and scary to see what you find on the road at any given time. i guess its just another damned if you do, and damned if you dont. :rolleyes:

Keep up the great work, Lpfd!

[oscarmitre]

Similar thing here. We are authorised to set up roadblocks to check vehicles for defects and also check driver licence status. I'm not sure who thought up the acronym for it but Vehicle Licence and Defect is VLAD, so we have VLAD roadblocks. No doubt some feel impaled :D

[121Traffic]

lol

[oscarmitre]

Damnit, another flag on the play - and I thought I'd blindsided everyone :D

[mcsap]

I am a sobriety checkpoint supervisor. I have run, assisted with or just been one of the guys at over 30 checkpoints. Our policy requires us to...

1. Advertise in the paper\radio\tv that we will be doing a ckpoint " this coming weekend".

2. We select the road by the HIGHEST rate of DUI crashes obtained from the state.

3. We start at midnight and run for 3 hrs.

4. We put signs and flares 750 ft before the stop area giving the motorists ample opportunity to turn around. As long as they commit no vio's in doing so they wont be stopped.

5. Each stop is under 1 minute , they are asked for a DL and reg card. We look for any signs of drinking.

6. They are given a pamphlet so if they come back through it is like a "pass".

About 10 yrs ago , a dept in my county got a guy driving who had a dead body in the car. He had shot and killed him during an argument and said he was trying to take him to a hospital !!

Checkpoints are a GREAT tool not only in finding DUI's but people with NO insurance, no license, warrants , underage drinking etc.

[darrell]

OWI check points are illegal in Michigan but Click It or Ticket are legal in this state. Go figure bunch of bereaucratic hipocritcs gotta love Michigan and thier Liberal bull**** at times.