Posted on 03/15/2006 8:31:04 AM PST by Enterprise
"Fresno Police Chief Jerry Dyer announced Tuesday that his department will continue undercover bar stings targeting drunken drivers, but some changes were made to the program.
The next operation is scheduled for Friday, which is St. Patrick's Day. Police have not yet determined which establishments will be monitored.
Dyer said undercover officers will not be positioned inside bars or restaurants. They will only be outside the bars and in parking lots. The chief also said officers — preferably uniformed — will approach people who appear to be intoxicated to dissuade them from driving."
(Excerpt) Read more at fresnobee.com ...
As one would expect, this was a HOT topic on Ray Appleton's radio show on KMJ 580. Ray didn't like these operations, and most of his callers didn't either. However, Inga Barks on the 6 PM show supported the operations, and her callers did too.
One of the things Ray pointed out was that it was open to some serious abuses. Suppose someone was undercover in the bar and saw someone they knew, but didn't like, like Ray himself, or an ex-spouse, etc. Then, the operation becomes not one of public safety, but personal retaliation. Some of the callers pointed out that if the goal was to reduce drunk driving, the potential drivers should be contacted before they got into a vehicle. Others were supportive of letting obviously intoxicated drivers operate a vehicle so they could be arrested for DUI.
I am curious as to what advice the legal adviser and the mayor gave the chief.
Early Saturday morning a policeman waited across the street from a popular bar, hoping for a nail a drunken driver, possibly preventing a tragic accident.
At closing time the patrons came out and the officer spotted his potential quarry. One man was so obviously inebriated that he could barely walk. He stumbled around the parking lot for a few minutes, looking for his car.
After trying his keys on five other cars, he finally found his own vehicle. He sat in the car a good ten minutes, as the other patrons left. He turned his lights on, then off, wipers on, then off. He started to pull forward into the grass, then stopped.
Finally, when he was the last car, he pulled out onto the road and started to drive away.
The patrolman, waiting for this, turned on his lights and pulled the man over. He administered the breathalyzer test, and to his great surprise, the man blew a 0.00.
The patrolman was dumbfounded. "This equipment must be broken!" he exclaimed.
"I doubt it," said the man, "Tonight I am the designated decoy!"
An oldie but a goody. Thanks.
I find this interesting, but I agree with you that it could be abused. Unfortunately, not all cops are good guys. Most are and I fully support law enforcement. However, what if a not-so-nice cops see an ex-wife out with a new guy at the bar and does not like it so much. What is to keep him from harassing them in the name of "looking out for drunk drivers"? (Just a hypothetical situation.)
I have zero tolerance for drunk drivers and think they should be harshly punished, but I am not so sure about this particular idea.
LOL...that would work for ME!
Must be a revenue shortfall in this years budget, ping!
Me too. If I were not exactly walking steadily after leaving a bar and a uniformed officer suggested that I don't drive, I would heartily agree with him!
I have no doubt that in time, that is exactly what would happen!
Ethnically Profiling the Irish eh?
I hadn't thought of it that way. Profiling people who celebrate on St. Patrick's Day! Call the justice department!
I forgot to add that the caller said that some Fresno PD officers are involved in some way in ownership of tow truck companies.
That's true here in the Detroit area too.
Bars are where the drunk drivers come from. Good for the Police.
Isn't life wonderful?
HEY THERE! How ya been?
Got something you might like here....
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1596947/posts?page=130#130
Been busier than a one-armed sheetrock hanger.
Great post at the link, BTW.
Well at least the donut shops are safe.
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