DUI Checkpoints Planned For the Florida Suncoast
Local law enforcement agencies, including the Sarasota, Manatee, and Hillsborough County Sheriffs Office are planning DUI checkpoints in the last two weeks of December. These agencies are given grant money from the Florida Department of Transportation safety office and are encouraged to conduct these DUI checkpoints. In conjunction with the Institute of Police Technology and Management in Jacksonville, Florida participates in the "You Drink & Drive You Lose" campaign. The state has set up a website that has a calendar detailing sustained campaigns. Agencies with the most number of DUI checkpoints are eligible to win prizes, including police equipment like radars, trailers, and new traffic sign boards. DUI checkpoints have come under some scrutiny in the last few months following a District Court opinion in Guy v State, Case No 2D07-4110 from Florida's Second District Court of Appeals. That Court ruled that the officers at the scene of the checkpoint exercised too much discretion and therefore deviated from the approved checkpoint plan.
The efficacy of DUI checkpoints has been discussed for years. They require lots of manpower to set up and execute, and the total number of arrests is usually lower than if the officers were assigned to a saturation patrol. In addition, they are often difficult to prosecute because there is usually no "bad" driving since the motorist just happened to drive through the checkpoint without being stopped for any traffic infraction. For additional information about DUI law and checkpoints check out the DUI website for Finebloom and Haenel.
