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StumbleMetro Police announce weekend sobriety checkpoint
Wednesday, June 23, 2010 | 12:58 p.m.
Sobriety checkpoint
Metro Police will be on the lookout for impaired drivers during a weekend sobriety checkpoint in the southwest valley.
The checkpoint will last from 7 p.m. Saturday to 3 a.m. Sunday in the area of Flamingo Road and Rainbow Boulevard, Metro announced this afternoon.
Authorities said officers will search for drivers impaired by alcohol or drugs. The checkpoint will be partially funded by a grant provided to the state through the federal Enforcing the Underage Drinking Laws program.
Discussion: comments so far…
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Seven PM is a lil early don't you think? Where is the illegal alien road blocks? Oh yeah,I forgot.There is no $ in catching illegals.
Great... all the drunks will be on the beltway...
dont they need probable cause or is it a "show me your papers' gestapo situation or another attempt by the state to further erode our hard-fought-for civil rights
Tell me Dodgerchuck, what have you done to fight for civil rights? It is not a civil right to drive impaired and endanger the lives of others. So what if you go through a checkpoint. If you are not impaired, you are on your way. If it saves lives, it is worth it.
For the life of me I don't understand why in hell the police department anounces these things, lets all get drunk and simply stay away from the check point, can you be anymore stupid.
7pm isn't too early... There are drunks on the road at every hour in this city of sin - where the drinks are always flowing. Checkpoints have been done for decades. If you have a problem with it, don't drive.
These "checkpoints" do nothing but harass law abiding citizens. They are a waste of time and money. Monday you will see that the numbers of impaired drivers opposed to cars stopped will not justify this. Regular patrol enforcement is much more effective. If you need to blow this "donated" money, maybe use it to solve some unsolved murders and robberies, or even boost patrols. This is a time to spend money wisely and not just pi$$ it away.
poolguy123
You give the drunks much more credit then they deserve, EVEN with the notice they will catch plenty of them. The courtesy notice is to allow sober citizens that may live in the area or travel thru the area the ability to take a different route and for that I thank them.
Now, your papers please!
LVMD is right. 7pm isn't early. The 19yr old girl who was just sentenced for killing the elderly lady in Henderson happened at 11am and the guy 2 days ago that crashed into the bus stop was at 1230p. Some of you need to get over yourselves already. Just comply and, tell them you haven't been drinking and they'll send you on your merry way.
Wanna beat the Breathalyzer test? mouthwash yo!
Wanna beat the Breathalyzer test? mouthwash yo!
Yeah, but it can't wipe that stupid grin on your face.
cool, ill remember not to drive around that entire area this weekend.
drunk or sober i dont wanna deal with the wasting of my time and gas in 100 degree heat to satisify some bullcrap political agenda to take a few random drunks off of the road that they can simply find without these checkpoints if they actually did their jobs instead of yelling at innocent citizens.
no problem metro, the less contact i have with you the better, and ill avoid your nicely published checkpoint and move on.
think about it people, you can whine about how much it violates your rights, but remember it is a privelege to drive. and its your free choice to NOT drive into their barricade posted above.
so, either you drive into their brick wall of unprofessionalism and their abusive attitude because they have no real reason to shoot you in the back that they can cover up or just go a few blocks out of your way and not see them at all!
jokes,
Have you ever been to a checkpoint and been harassed? I think you're a poser.
MSH1 stick to the facts. and watch the name calling. Poser LOL. If only you knew... If you can't challenge the argument resort to name calling. Nice way to show off your intelligence.
Then tell me how you were harassed at a checkpoint
When we start the curfew, and they pull you over to see why you aren't home in bed, THEN will it bother you to be "policed" to death???
After a half-hour traffic delay;
"I see you're wearing your seat belt, son. Good job. Have you been drinkin'? What time do you have to go to work tomorrow? What are you doing out and about? where are you headed? papers, please?"
And all you wanted to do was go up to the store for milk.
MSH1 This story isn't about me but about the hundreds of cars stopped while trying to commute from point a to point b and having to wait to prove yourself innocent of a crime is harassment.
"If it saves lives, it is worth it."
That's a slippery slope.
"Then tell me how you were harassed at a checkpoint"
The mere existence of a checkpoint constitutes harassment.
@Staff
"The checkpoint will be partially funded by a grant provided to the state through the federal Enforcing the Underage Drinking Laws program."
What about the remaining funding -- where's it coming from and how much?
: {
Stop advertising the checkpoints!!! Those who are sober will pass with flying colors, otherwise...DUH!!!!
jokes,
You dont have to drive through the checkpoint and it takes drunks of the road. Its only a minor intrusion (per USSC) upon individuals who CHOOSE to go through the checkpoint. So, if people are choosing to go through the checkpoint, whats the problem?
jokes,
It is also obvious you have not been through a check point or you would understand what I'm talking about. So, where are YOUR facts?
why don't they set up check points on the strip, there's drunks galore there!
Can't put a checkpoint on the strip. We don't wanna hassle the tourists. They are above the law in this town..
MSH1 Im sorry you dont understand the definition of Harassment. you will probably knock down the warning signs again and pull people over when they try to avoid the trafic jam caused by this waste of money. just look at the numbers on Monday and you will see this is a big waste of money and everyones time. My facts can be show everytime there is one of these check points. Why dont you look this up so you cant say I made it up...you are the one with no facts.
Keeping the streets safe is a fine motive, but here, the ends do not justify the means.
When every driver is stopped and questioned, that is not reasonable suspicion, it's assumption of guilt until proven innocent.
I am extremely disturbed that the legal community, (including the ACLU), looks the other way, and that the media, (especially Paula Francis), blesses this practice as a boon to the community.
This is expressly NOT a police state, and this should NOT be accepted.
The Supreme Court said a temporary seizure is permissible as a reasonable "minimal intrusion" upon 4th amendment protections against search and seizure. However, no other constitutional rights disappear at the checkpoint.
You still have the full due process of law, including the right not to answer questions (remain silent), concede to a search (unlawful search), or be detained without reasonable suspicion or probable cause.
If you don't want to answer questions, police cannot further detain you because refusing to answer questions is "suspicious" to them. The temporary seizure is limited to requiring you to stop. Beyond that, once you've stopped, any further detention or seizure requires lawful authority beyond that permitted by the checkpoint itself.
A FIELD SOBRIETY TEST IS OPTIONAL! Do not take one no matter whether you've been drinking or not. No matter the outcome, you're giving police free evidence that will be used AGAINST you. Why help someone trying to hurt you?
@timf343
Thanks for taking the time but more importantly the effort in video recording and sharing your checkpoint experience (attached links provided below) -- until such intrusive police actions are halted all such checkpoints should be recorded by civilians passing through as well as near the staging area w/ tripod/lighting -- the signs laying facedown warning motorists (I assume) of impeding stop at the intersection giving motorists their last option in avoiding the resulting traffic congestion ahead is a disturbing ploy of baiting motorists.
Would suggest the following statement be preprinted and stored in every motorist's vehicle to be used as a checkpoint response as demonstrated in the video(s) below:
ATTENTION POLICE:
I hereby assert my right to remain silent.
I DO NOT consent to answering any questions.
Do not ask me any questions without my attorney present.
Probable cause or consent is required to conduct a search.
I DO NOT consent to a search of my person, property or vehicle.
Further detention requires probable cause or consent.
I DO NOT consent to being detained.
I WANT TO LEAVE IMMEDIATELY.
PLEASE ADVISE ME AS SOON AS I AM FREE TO LEAVE.
Nicely done chief - know others appreciate your approach and effort.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIupHbRTp...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGRqlFw3R...
Much ado about nothing - for crying out loud if it bothers you just stay away from the area - how hard is that to understand?
Let's hear it for:
tmf343 and the Harley!
Got me a copy for my wallet and one for the car. Thanks for the language and, more importantly, for the attitude.
I don't like seeing them in my mirror and I really hate it when they pull me over, even though I am clean, sober and not wanted for anything except of course my hot body and charming personality!
Leave me alone copper. I ain't the whatever you're lookin for!
I avoid these checkpoints like the plague, but i have a question for some that may have been through them. Does anyone ever make a U-turn right in front of the checkpoint and if so, what happens? Do the cops just let them go about their business as long as the U-turn is legal or are they sending people after them? I've always been curious about that.
@timf343: if you refuse a field test, don't you automatically lose your license by default (I thought i read that about NV, I know it's the case in WA)?
JerryWayne: I drove through one on Charleston and Lamb a few years back, they were placed strategically so that 1. traffic was backed up so far that you didn't know you were moving into a trap until it was too late, and 2. if you did find a U-turn opportunity, they had patrol cars standing by in nearby parking lots and median gaps to bird dog you down for suspicious behavior.
that's what I figured
Whoever said you don't have to take a breathalyzer is ridiculous. Don't refuse to take a breathalyzer you will get yourself in trouble. Nevada has something called an "implied consent" law (which is very legal). It states that by using Nevada roads you AUTOMATICALLY consent to a breathalyzer. Dems da breaks folks.