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StumbleDUI enforcement nets 58 arrests over holiday weekend
Tuesday, June 1, 2010 | 11:52 a.m.
Sun Coverage
There were no fatal alcohol-related crashes in Las Vegas during the Memorial Day weekend, Metro Police said Tuesday, announcing the arrest of 58 people in connection with driving under the influence.
Metro attributed the lack of fatal crashes to increased patrolling and the use of five DUI checkpoints throughout the valley during the weekend. The anti-drunk-driving event was the largest of its kind in the country, police said during a news conference last week.
Police arrested 58 people for drunk driving, gave out 20 traffic citations and arrested three other people on different charges during the weekend, officials said.
“I think it was a success because we got the word out,” said Metro spokeswoman Barbara Morgan. “People are just more aware of what’s going on, and people realize it’s a serious offense.”
About 15,000 vehicles were stopped at the checkpoints. Higher numbers of patrol officers were also on duty during the weekend, concentrated in “high risk” areas.
About 250 officers and civilians were assigned to the checkpoints, officials said. Each checkpoint included three Metro Police vans equipped with devices that determine whether a driver is impaired.
The weekend’s DUI events were paid for by a grant from the Goshen Community Development Coalition.
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we a drug sniffing dog for each cars checked they will catch 500 people,but metro to lazy to do they job.
58/1500 - that means over 3 percent of the drivers they encountered were legally drunk.
As a sober driver that is terrifying.
HeyVegas: There is Supreme Court case law that says you can't use DUI checkpoints for drug interdiction. Of course from your poor use of the English language, I'm sure thats hard for you to grasp.
the sun should post their names on this website. if the legal system won't get them off our roads, maybe shame will get them out of their jobs.
This was 58 DUIs in ALL of their coverage area, not what was issued at checkpoints. I doubt the checkpoints caught more than a handful of drunk drivers, since they publish the locations but they publish nothing that supports their effectiveness.
I am having a real huge problem with the figures on this one. This effort was anything but productive......and cost effective!!!! Heck Metro could have placed one squad car outside of any Casino Parking Lot and caught more Drunks in one day than they did in 3 days........Oh well it is Clear....Nobody is minding the Store bend over Las Vegas Taxpayers!!!!
KOM674 -- You sound like a typical Sunday preacher who can't think out of the box__You are trusting the Supreme court to protect your kids from drug,good luck, use your English to be more creative.
News 3 says almost 15,000 vehicles stopped at ckpoints, who's right?
theotherside, we went back and checked the numbers and it looks like we left a zero out. It is 15,000. I have changed the story to reflect that. Thanks for catching that.
Hey that's possibly 58 ppl that could have gotten into an accident and killed innocent ppl.
I wish they didn't announce the locations of these on every radio station, then it would been 558 arrests. stupid.
How many drivers didn't have licenses and were illegal?
Accurate proofreading always helps.Thanks for the update.
another reason why riding a motorcycle is asking for it; old folks, drunks, nitwits texting or dimwits on the cell phone, an accident waiting to happen.
So drunk profiling is okay???
"I think it was a success" -- impeding ~15,000 commuters to verify 99.61% compliance.
+99% compliance!
Success??
LOL
: {
I still say that ALL vehicles sold in the U.S. should contain as standard issue, breathlizer technology which prevents the impaired driver from being able to start the engine..
Hey environprotector,....
Its funny that you should mention that, I was watching I think it was "60 Minutes" the evening before last and Ford or Chevrolet is getting ready to put a fleet on the market that have this feature.. and won't run if the driver doesn't pass the breathalizer...
...and this cost how much?
At least 250 Metro officers got 58 drunks off the road. What did 250 firefighters (not paramedics) do during that same amount of time?
I bet 250 officers on patrol over a 3 day holiday weekend could've easily doubled the number of arrests.
Bunch of crap and we all know it.
I drank alcohol with all 58 of them. Dumb asses can't hold their licker and drive!
Total violation of the Bill of Rights. No wonder this country is teetering on the brink of collapse.
Lets suppose an officer works 20 days per month and the monthly salary is $3,750 (that's $45,000 per year). That's $187.50 per day.
So 250 officers * $187.50 = $46,875 per day and 3 days * $46,875 = $140,625. For 58 arrested that makes $2,424.
Now even if my figures are not very accurate I think we have an estimate that we can use to see how expensive and ineffective this operation was. How many crimes (as defined by the constitution) did this operation solve?
Btw, I took the salary from here
http://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=...
Hey environprotector and David1961. The built in breathlizer might sound like a good idea but that is easy to defeat. Just have someone who has not been drinking blow in it for you.
Gayle having cops wait outside of bars or casinos is considered entrapment and the case will be tossed out. However nothing prohibits law enforcement from patrolling the areas around them and they do.
Cred what would you propose we do as a society wait until a drunk driver injures or kills you, your family or friends before you see the value in human life here? It's attitudes like yours, why this problem persists in today's society with the alternatives, many free during holidays, available. So there is no excuse.
I'm not a prude and I enjoy tossing back a few adult beverages on occasion, but I keep it under control. If I take it too far I take a cab, call Designated Drivers or have a few at home.
You don't have to drink and drive. That is a choice, but be prepared to face the consequences if you get caught.
Christopher the cost was paid by the Goshen Community Development Coalition, a private grant. Didn't you read the article?
58 DUI drivers?
The race/nationality and immigration status ought to be published as well as names, occupation, and home addresses.
DUI check points must be advertized....so we only catch the DUMB ones. Not only is it for DUI's, it's also there to correct any other violation. So we may only of pinched only a handful of drunks, but how many other volations were noted?
The check points are also used for community relations that include MADD and the Rainbow Babies Hospital in our city. It's amazing how many drivers still don't put their children in car seats! The hospitals are in GREAT favor of this program.
Yes, you are detained for only a couple of minutes,,,and almost everyone that is stopped THANK the officers for being there. There are a few that mumble under their breath tho'...oh well. I might of just saved YOUR loved one from being killed by that DUMB one.
"Checkpoints" in USA. Fathom that, GW.
All you need to know about the DUI checkpoints is this;
$250,000 from the Feds to our local boys.
It's ALWAYS about the money.
"The weekend's DUI events were paid for by a grant from the Goshen Community Development Coalition."
What is a DUI "event"?
What is "Goshen" and where does their dough come from?
As mentioned these are not 58 dui arrest...some of them are for warrants, license plates etc.
On one hand it is hard to put a price on saving a life. To play devil's advocate this checkpoint probably cost the city businesses money. I for one do not drive around smashed but did not want to risk going out and having any beers. Yes, I could get a cab but it isn't worth $50 to get a cab to southern highlands so I chose not to go out and spend any money at all!
IronmanLV asked what I would propose we do as a society wait until a drunk driver injures or kills me, my family or friends before I see the value in human life here. He concludes "It's attitudes like yours, why this problem persists in today's society with the alternatives, many free during holidays, available. So there is no excuse."
Believe me, I understand the point in this: all life is invaluable. My answer to the question is: death is a part of life too. But that doesn't matter. Let me explain.
If we were to live in a society that would protect all life at all costs, as I understand from IronmanLV's writing, it would mean we would not have a free society. Not even close to what China has. Would you be willing exchange cars to buses, if a legislation would ban cars to secure us all from accidents?
The society will not survive, if it doesn't uphold a constitution that doesn't change. Look at Europe and states over there. They have more laws, more nanny-state, more restrictions and yet they have the same problems.
You cannot solve moral issues (DUI in this case) with laws.
I ALWAYS appreciate what Metro does to keep our communities safe, but I don't understand why they announce where the checkpoints will be set up. The rest goes without saying, JUST AVOID THESE AREA'S!!! Or maybe, when you're in that state of mind, you don't give a rodents rear end?
I think that having a phone glued to your ear and driving with one hand, which EVERYONE seems to be doing these days, and those FREAKING TEXTERS should get the same penalties!!!!!!!! They are as distracted as DWI'S!
Hats off the Metro! At least 58 lives potentially saved (the drunks) and no fatal accidents in Vegas over a holiday weekend! Well worth the effort to keep the roads safe. Wish they would do this every weekend in Vegas. Watch the drunk driving and fatal accidents drop dramatically.
How many lives were ruined by the DUI charges?
Fairly soon, we will all be criminals for one reason or another. Just keep making these stupid knee jerk laws to prevent accidents.
You can't legislate accidents or stupidity. I'm waiting for the law to be passed that makes everyone a criminal, that way the state has power over every aspect of your life, and they can force you to comply.
Not every person who drinks kills or destroys property. This law is no different than credit card companies charging you more because they have to make up their losses from the people who file bankruptcy. Everyone pays the price even though they didn't do anything wrong.
It is a pre-emtive law. Pre-emtive laws are unconstitutional.
Sorry, Pre-emptive.
Wow geezelouise whats your point? You are almost suggesting that it is ok to drink and drive (drunk driving). If the 58 that chosed to get drunk and chosed to drive lives are ruined so be it, they made the choice to do so. Put the blame where the blame is due. The failure of accepting personal responsibilty vs poor me everyone else is wrong is getting to common.
money that was supposed to be well spent was wasted. when i see a checkpoint on the news, i stay the hell away from it. im not a drunk driver in fact i almost never drink, and when i do drink i have 1 or 2 and im done. i wont drink and drive, and i also refuse to go to a checkpoint when i know how to avoid it. checkpoints are stupid. put cops on the road near bars instead.
seriously, metro is one worthless lazy ass department with one hell of a piss poor attitude.
Bucjuefab said it right on... Drink - drive - jail... Dont like the laws in this country then find another country to call home... THEN you might miss this land/ freedoms a little more... Everyone here thinks they have everything all figured out... DUI checkpoints are not a violation of any of our rights...
This story was a simple one - Metro removed 58 people with weapons (their cars) that could have killed one of my loved ones or yours... Nice work Metro. I am also glad that the ones who managed to get by Metro (drunk) didn't hurt anyone...
VegasGM85: How about 4th Amendment?
I have to say I miss the times when there were less laws and more freedom.
@By Cred..here are some of my numbers I calculated: 58 drunks arrested @ $1500 in court fines, DMV fines, and classes = 87,000 for sheer stupidity. They could have donated that money or each went and bout a house as an investment. Now suppose there was no check point and each on had a wreck causing an average of $10,000 damage = 580,000. And average hospital bill for let's say one injured person per wreck averageing $5,000 medical bill = $290,000. See the numbers add up to stupidity and dumbmidity. To sum it all up, those 58 arrests saved 58 lives (priceless in my eyes unless they killed another DUI driver) and saved $290,000 in medical bills, and $580,000 in property damage. Those 58 arrests were worth the cost of your $2400 calculation. We need more laws for clowns like you.
I drove up on a checkpoint in Bakersfield a couple weeks ago. We got waived over to the pass thru lane. I guess a 50-ish couple with a 75 year old lady in a newer csr with current registration didn't fit the need for them to check (I don't drink, so checkpoints don't scare me at all). They usually arrest 8-12 drunks at these and impound another 50-60 cars for no license! Usually catch a "wanted" fugitive or 2 as well.
I agree with stevem, print the names.
I am very much in favor of checkpoints. The license check puts a lot of unlicensed drivers on their feet. Of course, no license also means no insurance, so I say "start walking" to them!
Simply put. I don't drink, and if you drink, fine, just stay off the road. DUI drivers deserve to have their lives "ruined" with a DUI ticket because they are endangering our lives.
They should publish the cost of drunk driving to each of these individuals compared with the cost of cabfare.
The point is that most people who have a drink or two and get behind the wheel of a car don't have accidents, don't destroy property, don't kill people. So what are you blaming them for?
And if I don't like the laws of this country (which are in my opinion unconstitutional) then it is up to me to try and change them.
Whether you believe it or not, we are NOT free, and all you sheep out there should wake up before it's too late.
Read the constitution, and then start reading the laws. Compare them and then tell me you are free.
Geez Louise, the point is that drunk drivers hurt and maim and kill.
Not every one every time. That is the point.
That's like saying every person that eats potato chips dies from a heart attack.
@Cred - if people knew how to handle themselves and knew how to act then your absolutely right... BUT like tbrownbag said "clowns" out there have ruined it for all of us... I dont mind the checkpoint because I know how to act
Oh Boy Louise, you are so far off the mark. Not one every time, so in other words, you wouldn't mind getting killed by a drunk driver because the next ten drunks won't kill anyone.