Dui checkpoints

[Dustint66]

How about a lil icon for checkpoints?

[AndyPoms]

You can report these as a general Hazard (don't select On Road / On Shoulder) and write in a description.

[BlazeTool]

You can also use the report... police and type a description before hitting send.

[daknife]

I just file them as a police report. If I can I give details.

[OldGnome]

Why would you report a DUI checkpoint? I am certainly not interested in helping drunk drivers stay on the road.

Please explain.

[AndyPoms]

Why would you report a DUI checkpoint? I am certainly not interested in helping drunk drivers stay on the road.

Please explain.

CT State Police announce the locations of DUI Checkpoints - see: http://www.ct.gov/despp/cwp/view.asp?Q=514332&A=4226 click that link to see a PDF of the scheduled checkpoints / targeted enforcement areas. Basically what this means is they have officers that are specifically assigned to this & unless something major happens they won't be dispatched to other calls...

[OldGnome]

@AndyPoms -

I understand that aspect of it. As a Wazer, why do I care whether there is a DUI checkpoint? If it is so that I am aware of a traffic bottleneck, I understand. If it is to know that it is specifically a DUI checkpoint, again - why should I care?

[daknife]

Why would you report a DUI checkpoint? I am certainly not interested in helping drunk drivers stay on the road.

Please explain.

Report it for the traffic impact. It's not like the locations are secret, by order of the Supreme Court they must publicize the location of any such check point several days in advance.

It's not a crime to help publicize a checkpoint. And the only drunks that are going to get caught are the ones too drunk to turn around when they see the check-point. As per SCOTUS in Michigan v Stitz, the ability of the drivers to turn around at any point up until they actually enter the checkpoint is a key factor in determining whether or not said checkpoint meets constitutional muster. If a driver is unable to turn around before entering the checkpoint it then becomes a case of unlawful detainment and the entire checkpoint is a constitutional violation, and any arrests made during the checkpoint get thrown out.

And to be honest such checkpoints are a waste of resources. How many man hours go into manning a check point(the last one I went through had a couple dozen officers from multiple jurisdictions, Light/generator carts and so on), and they will usually only catch one or two(the last one I went through caught zero), whereas the same number of man hours spent patrolling in their assigned AO's will catch dozens. Helping any and everyone avoid a checkpoint may cut the numbers caught down low enough to get them to realize what a waste of time, effort and tax dollars they really are.

Reporting checkpoints is very unlikely to keep any drunks on the road as they are unlikely to be caught anyway, whereas if the officers were out patrolling they would be much more likely to get the drunks.

And FYI full disclosure, I am a tee-totaler who's never had a drink in his life and who would be happy to see much greater restriction put on alcohol consumption (I acknowledge that prohibition proved that wont work) and much greater penalties on those caught driving intoxicated.

[MysticCobra]

While I think the current software is plenty sufficient to report such police events, I am surprised as I had no idea such restrictions existed for police checkpoints. I know they are productive sometimes. I read an article recently where over two dozen citations were issues in one night here in NOVA.

[btrials]

Very good post daknife.