Oakland halts DUI checkpoints after Hispanic leaders complain

KESQ ^ | 9/26/2004

[4.1O dana super trac pak]

Oakland, Calif. - The Oakland Police Department has halted its use of D-U-I checkpoints after the city's Hispanic leaders complained that the roadblocks were ensnaring too many illegal immigrants.

D-U-I checkpoints allow police officers to demand drivers' licenses and proof of insurance. City leaders agree the roadblocks are an effective way to get drunken drivers off the streets.

But Hispanic community leaders and City Council President Ignacio De La Fuente complained that the checkpoints were making life miserable for illegal immigrants who aren't licensed to drive but otherwise obey the law.

Police Chief Richard Word has ordered a month-long moratorium on the checkpoints while the department drafts new guidelines.

But City Councilmember Larry Reid says stopping D-U-I checkpoints threatens public safety.

[meyer]

Right decision for entirely the wrong reason.

[Lizavetta]

Ignacio De La Fuente complained that the checkpoints were making life miserable for illegal immigrants who aren't licensed to drive but otherwise obey the law.

Don't you just love the very, very large brush that Mexican activists use to paint illegal immigrants with? They're ALL hardworking and they're ALL law abiding. Have you noticed that? I'd bet $10 that De La Fuente probably doesn't know a single one of the illegals that actually got stopped, but by God he knows they're all law abiding.

[Tall_Texan]

...illegal immigrants who aren't licensed to drive but otherwise obey the law.

1) they aren't licensed to drive yet are operating motor vehicles on our highways. 2) they have no auto insurance as mandated by law. 3) they aren't legally supposed to be in the country. Other than that, they're just peaceful law-abiding citizens. I guess the same could be said about Ted Bundy. Other than a few murders, escaping jail and breaking and entering, he obeyed all the laws of this country.

[NickRails]

So if a driver was legally intoxicated, but otherwise obeying the law, he gets one free pass? Do you have to found to be committimg more than one crime to get arrested?

If a fifteen year old was otherwise obeying the law, but operating a car without a license, does he get a free pass, too?

[4.1O dana super trac pak]

Thanks CC

[rockabyebaby]

El wrongo my friend, ILLEGALS should be found any way possible, they are ILLEGAL and do not have any rights, period. In MA there are 157,000 ILLEGALS sucking the system dry and NO ONE in this State, not even the Attorney General has the COJONES to do anything about it, meanwhile our tax $$$$$ are going to feed, house and clothe these ILLEGALS. I still say, round them up and throw them the hell out of this country.

[Atlas Sneezed]

"...illegal immigrants who aren't licensed to drive but otherwise obey the law..."

[HuntsvilleTxVeteran]

CRIMINAL INVADERS have more rights than Citizens.

[briant]

Quit ironic that the only way to stop these random searches is by the complaints on behalf of illegal aliens. Is this country done or what?

[briant]

quite

[Scutter]

I don't much care for police "checkpoints", but THIS just boggles the mind. Not only can they not enforce the immigration laws, they have to *suspend other laws* if it means they'd have to enforce the immigration laws as a consequence.

[Gary - Peters]

Hispanics Drink and Drive for free ?

I want a Californian Hispanic designated driver.

[myrabach]

This is a joke, right?

[toupsie]

The Oakland Police Department has halted its use of D-U-I checkpoints after the city's Hispanic leaders complained that the roadblocks were ensnaring too many illegal immigrants. That's impossible! You cannot ensnare too many illegal immigrants. That's like saying you are ensnaring too many white collar criminals, too many shoplifters or too many insurance defrauders.

[Bullish]

The liberals in California are just killing us with all their idiotic PC nonsense. We've been invaded by illiterate 3rd world peasants with the America hating liberals full blessing.

[spodefly]

The Oakland Police Department has halted its use of D-U-I checkpoints after the city's Hispanic leaders complained that the roadblocks were ensnaring too many illegal immigrants ... Hispanic community leaders and City Council President Ignacio De La Fuente complained that the checkpoints were making life miserable for illegal immigrants who aren't licensed to drive but otherwise obey the law.

"Otherwise obey the law"? They have not obeyed the law from their first day in this country.

I'm glad to know that I can drive around Oakland drunk and with no license, and I won't be inconvenienced in any way. Or do the laws still apply to white guys living in the country legally? Do these "Hispanic leaders", in addition to supporting illegal aliens, now support drunk driving? Or is it that they will do anything to protect their "Hermanos", even if it means undermining the laws and safety of this country?

[hershey]

Oh, right. Let the illegals drive, drunk or not. If they kill anybody, who cares, esp. if the victims are Americans.

[4.1O dana super trac pak]

A motorcycle cop was recently run over and killed in Oakland by an illegal driving a semi. Too bad he didn't get yanked off the road a little earlier.

[SmithL]

Did Ignacio De La Fuente ever prove that he was here legally?

[SQUIDMACK]

I had my car totaled by an illegal alien. It was about 2:30 A.M. I was in bed when I heard a terrible crash. I got up and ran to my front window. My car looked fine from the angle I was looking at it. Its just that I had parked it facing my house and now it was parallel to it.? He spun my parked car around, took out a small brick wall, flew off another wall two houses down, and ended up sitting on the drivers side. The driver got out and ran within a few seconds. There was beer bottles everywhere in and out of the car. Thirty minutes later a guy walked up and claimed he was the driver. The police talked to him and then came and gave me a sob story for him. He couldnt speak English, just got to our country two weeks ago, had no license, and ran because he was scared. I dont really know how this works but the car was insured?

I hate to think how any American Citizen would be treated in the same situation. DWI, fleeing scene of accident, driving with no license, destruction of personal property, open container, and they would put together some other things people have never heard of.

I think the D.A.s are telling the street cops what to do in these situations but why arent there any cops standing up to this junk?

Fellow Americans should be treated with more respect than illegals. Im tired of the look the other way if the guy has no money to milk attitude.