Friday, June 18, 2010

DUI Checkpoints for profit?


Santa Rosa DUI sobriety checkpoints are a thing you may run into. You ask yourself “are they helping”. This is an interesting article on what appears to be a new resource for the police, towing companies and the like to rake in a few bucks…Set up DUI checkpoints throughout the state of California.
DUI checkpoints

Santa Rosa DUI Checkpoints

“Sobriety checkpoints in California are increasingly turning into profitable operations for local police departments that are far more likely to seize cars from unlicensed motorists than catch drunken drivers.” This practice, as departments are looking to stretch dollars, increase revenues could be happening in all of Sonoma County at any given time. Most people know that the holidays are when the police step up enforcement. With this type of revenue stream you could see Petaluma DUI checkpoints, Cotati DUI checkpoints, Rohnert Park DUI checkpoints, Sonoma DUI checkpoints, and the list goes on. And when it’s all said and done, you’ll need a good Santa Rosa DUI attorney.

This type of revenue stream could be encouraged by the cities as well:

“An investigation by the Investigative Reporting Program at UC Berkeley with California Watch has found that impounds at checkpoints in 2009 generated an estimated $40 million in towing fees and police fines – revenue that cities divide with towing firms.”

In addition to the income received by the cities, towing companies and the police department. They are increasing the amount of overtime, officers on site creating a burden on the state by seizing so many vehicles. Arguable these DUI checkpoints are in low income, minority neighborhoods.

You can read the whole story here.

Of course if you do go through a Santa Rosa DUI Checkpoint and are arrested for a DUI you can always contact your Santa Rosa DUI Attorney for a free consultation.