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On Friday, June 14, Menlo Park Police ran a driving under the influence and license checkpoint which cited six people for driving without a license and found zero intoxicated people.
The checkpoint took place on Middlefield Road near Menlo-Atherton High School from 8 p.m.-2 a.m.
During the checkpoint, 657 people were stopped and 29 were sent to secondary screening. Of those 29, 10 were given field sobriety tests, of which none failed, and six were cited for unlicensed driving, according to the department.
Even though no one was cited for drunk driving, Menlo Park Police Traffic Sgt. Chris Adair says the department was able to educate the public, which is its primary goal.
“I think it went really well. It was actually an unusual one because we contacted a lot of people who were drinking, but none over the legal limit so it seems people are drinking more responsibly. We had one individual who was very close to the legal limit and didn’t think he was. It was an eye opener for him,” he said. “That kind of education is priceless. It doesn’t take much to be intoxicated.”
“We were also able to keep the roads clear of unlicensed drivers; these people are involved in collisions, don’t have insurance, and are a really serious problem. People driving without licenses need to be held accountable,” he added.
Officers only screen a portion of drivers in order to limit disruptions to drivers.
“It is a random stop so we start out by stopping 1 car out of every 10 and as traffic dies down, I will increase it,” said Adair.
For the car that is stopped, Adair said, “We ask the driver for their license and if they have been drinking, if everything is good, we send them on their way, otherwise they go to secondary screening.”
Conducting a checkpoint is a resource intensive operation; according to Adair, 12 department employees are needed, including officers and civilian staff. Adair said, “The checkpoints are funded by a grant from the Office of Traffic Safety and we do at least one annually.”
‘It is a big project but it is something that is near and dear to my heart.’
Menlo Park Police Traffic Sgt. Chris Adair
“It is a big project but it is something that is near and dear to my heart. When I was in college, I was hit head on by a drunk driver. I had pretty major injuries: I broke my jaw and my hand was injured badly. My car was totaled,” he added.
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Juicy overtime safety theater: “resource intensive operation; according to Adair, 12 department employees are needed, including officers and civilian staff“ … I believe such checkpoints cost up 8 hours or so (possibly with all 12 employees at overtime rates) when setup and breakdown times are included.
It would be excellent if reports on these increasingly fruitless (as far as DUIs go) checkpoints could include a complete and honest cost. I’ve casually noticed it has long (many, many years now) been common to have such checkpoints yield very few or no DUIs.
I contend that far less dollars and personnel could more effectively catch DUI drivers by traditional means on ordinary patrols in which drivers are pulled over for cause based on traditional indicators of possible impairment (e.g. weaving, driving too slow or fast, headlights off at night, not going when lights turn green, running lights or stop signs, etc.).