Two DUI/license checkpoints Friday night in Petaluma screened 987 drivers, but police didn’t find any suspected DUIs.
But Petaluma police said they did arrest three drivers on suspicion of driving without a license, and two others on suspicion of driving on a suspended license. One of those two also was cited for having false registration stickers on her car.
The first checkpoint was on Sonoma Mountain Parkway and then later in the evening the officers moved to Petaluma Boulevard North at Gossage Avenue.
The checkpoints were funded by a grant from the state Office of Traffic Safety.
Such checkpoints may have to change if Gov. Jerry Brown signs a bill by Assemblyman Michael Allen, D-Santa Rosa, which would set uniform rules for checkpoints statewide and would require public notice of their locations. To read more about that, CLICK HERE.
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Brian
I am a DUI attorney in Utah and always felt that these checkpoints need some rules or guidelines. It does not seem to me that they should be able to be put up in hope of catching someone. It would seem that some education on the topic would go farther than a checkpoint.
September 18th, 2011 4:21 pm
Miguel
Sounds like a success!
Tax collecting at its best.
Hope the new bill passes as these are so useless.
September 18th, 2011 6:18 pm
Ken Briggs
wow no drunks , good job .
September 18th, 2011 6:54 pm
Susan
They aren’t useless. They are made useless by the people standing around with signs letting the drunks and lawbreakers know what is going on down the road. If you have nothing to hide then you shouldn’t worry about a simple checkpoint!
September 18th, 2011 7:39 pm
Norma
These DUI checkpoints must be working. No drunks means you and me are safer. Keep doing these checkpoints and keep the drunks out of their cars.
September 18th, 2011 8:11 pm
cyclist
Let’s call it what it is. It is not a DUI check point just an excuse to check for CDL. It is a CDL check point and it is illegal!
September 18th, 2011 10:23 pm
Steve
Unless you yourself drive drunk, OR you are a sleezy “DUI lawyer” who profits from “representing” drunk drivers, you shouldn’t care about DUI check points. Just like you probably don’t care about the door alarms at department stores unless you’re shoplifting.
I’m pretty sure the apathetics and opponents will feel differently once a friend/family member is killed by a drunk driver. Wake up people.
September 18th, 2011 10:40 pm
Yovan
Does anyone remember that we have a Constitution in this country that guarantees the right to citizens against unreasonable Search and Seizure? This is a complicated issue. Of course no one wants to be at risk of drunk drivers. It goes without saying. But neither do we want to subjected to random stops by authorities with badges, questioned and asked to show our “papers”. Does this have the vague sound of Nazi Germany ? Or has everyone forgotten that lesson?
September 19th, 2011 12:30 am
bill
another thorough waster of my hard earned tax payer dollars to a bunch of overpaid zealot cops who need to get off the payroll and help balance our budget…..
these DUI traps should not be used for other issues…..
September 19th, 2011 3:17 am
Fred Mangels
Interesting, some of the comments. We read a “good job” because the checkpoint didn’t catch any drunk drivers which means they must be working.
Next time, assuming they catch one or two drunk drivers, we’ll hear the “good job” again because this shows the checkpoints must be working.
Love that sort of thinking. No matter what the results, there’s always somebody who thinks they’re successful.
September 19th, 2011 6:54 am
Road Warrior
IF you really wanted to catch drunks, you would set up check points at the exit of all bars, and set them up between 11pm- 4am. Obviously the cops don’t want to stay up past 10pm so they shut them down before the drunks even start rolling out of the bars! Come on!
September 19th, 2011 7:28 am
Think About It
Some free country…
September 19th, 2011 7:29 am
Will
No arrest, all the cops are on overtime …right, It cost the taxpayers ( me and you) a ton of money. The drunk drivers are out their….and always will be. Lets find a better use of our $$ than paying a bunch of officers to stand around with nothing to do. This thing don’t work….FIND A BETTER WAY
September 19th, 2011 11:39 am
William
Checkpoints = Guilty until proven innocent.
This is not what the United States of America was built upon
September 19th, 2011 2:23 pm
noname
It’s the same story we always get.
CRIME IS UP = WE NEED MORE COPS AND FUNDING!!
CRIME IS DOWN = IT’S WORKING KEEP IT UP!
No matter what happens, the taxpayers lose.
September 23rd, 2011 3:03 pm