Posted on 06/10/2013 3:32:45 PM PDT by Bodleian_Girl
PELL CITY, Alabama -- St. Clair and Bibb county authorities are confirming there were roadblocks at several locations in their counties Friday and Saturday asking for blood and DNA samples. However, the samples were voluntary and motorists were paid for them as part of a study, they said.
According to Lt. Freddie Turrentine of the St. Clair County Sheriff's Department, it isn't the first time such roadblocks have occurred in the area.
"They were here in 2007," said Turrentine, the supervisor in charge of the roadblocks, which took place in several locations in St. Clair County Friday night, early Saturday morning and Saturday night and early Sunday morning. "It's just with social media and Facebook now, word of it has just exploded."
Turrentine said the roadblocks were part of a study conducted by the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation, working with the National Highway Safety Administration. St. Clair County was asked to participate by the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs because it had worked with the group six years ago.
Sheriff Keith Hannah in Bibb County said they too had previously participated in the study.
Here's how the road blocks worked, Turrentine said:
Off-duty St. Clair County deputies stopped cars at random at road block areas. The road blocks were marked with signs stating it was a paid survey. Cars stopped were asked for voluntary cooperation. Drivers were offered $10 for a mouth swab, and $50 for a blood test. If they refused, they were free to drive away.
[ POLL: Would you voluntarily submit DNA, blood sample for government study at roadblock? ]
Road blocks took place Friday at the New London Fire Department, Alabama 34 in Pell City near the old Dan's Car Wash, U.S. 231 at Alabama 144, at White's Chapel Parkway and Moody Crossroads in Moody. In Bibb County, the road blocks took place in five areas in the county on Friday night through early Sunday morning.
If drivers participated, they were directed to an area where someone from the group carrying out the study took the samples, he said.
"It was completely voluntary," Turrentine said, saying reports that people were detained if they did not cooperate were untrue. "If they didn't want to take part, they could drive off."
The samples were anonymous, he said.
Poll: Would you voluntarily submit DNA, blood sample for government study at roadblock?
"They were taking the samples in other parts of the country," he said. "They want to find out of all the people surveyed, how many people were driving with alcohol in their system, or prescription drugs, things like that."
This will be the only time this year the survey takes place in St. Clair County, he said.
Turrentine, who was at one of the roadblocks, said the group carrying out the study would ask for a certain number of volunteers. Deputies would stop drivers until that number of drivers needed agreed to the survey. Then they let cars pass while the samples were taken.
"We would have a lot who didn't want to take part, especially at night," he said. "But then we'd have a few that when we'd tell they could make $60 bucks, they said, 'What do I need to do?'"
If you were stopped in one of the roadblocks, or took part, and would like to talk, email eastalabama@al.com.
You are assuming all of those who volunteered were the registered owner of the vehicle.
I've done it a number of times when I was in a hurry and NOTHING happened.
You must be terrified of those college kids doing tourism surveys! LOL!
Police are throwing up a roadblock, not giving people an invitation to do a “survey.”
Off duty policemen. Ordering you to stop. Traffic halted. Teens were also swabbed without parental permission.
“The survey used deputies to stop traffic....” http://blog.al.com/east-alabama/2013/06/feds_state_officials_comment_o.html
Yeah. You weren’t SEEN doing the UE.
Friend of mine’s HS age kid saw a roadblock one saturday night and did a UE. Didn’t want to be late for curfew. 2 of the 3 LEOs there hopped in their cars, chased him down sirens wailing, drug him physically out of the car at gunpoint and handcuffed him and shoved him in a patrol car. He won a trip to the local HOSPITAL for a blood test drug screen. He was clean. They still charged him with ...wait for it...’evading a roadblock’.
Yes, he was late for his curfew.
So they volunteered?
Police are throwing up a roadblock,
Were the drivers forced to go through it? No!
Go research the trial of Pastor Anderson and unconstitutional roadblocks.
Then you can tell me where I made them all?
Friend of mine’s HS age kid saw a roadblock one saturday night and did a UE.
You were there also?
Why are you working so hard to defend roadblocks?
What does that have to do with your claims? Let's try to remain focused on the subject of this article. I'm not into chasing tangents.
I'm not. Why are you paranoid?
I’m don’t have a facecrook account but, it occurs to me if they are giving away our money(those who pay taxes) then why not put up a billboard and advertise in local newspapers and TV stations?
These guys are are real A-holes.
They just cordon of roads,sequester those stopped and offer them a chance to spin the “Let’s Make a Deal” wheel.
These fags just don’t have any sense of responsibility to take care of our money .
Jack wagons are back of the check writers.
>> People who declined to give their DNA were detained and had their cars searched.
On what grounds? That seems unconstitutional.
Which NSA database were the samples entered into?
It’s a small town. My hubby was in the line of cars waiting at the roadblock. Went through the roadblock from the other side and passed the kids car on his way into town. Immediately called me and told me to call my friend to see if there was a problem with the kid/etc. Kids mother freaked out and started calling highway patrol, sheriff, emt’s etc. The sheriff called his dad and explained the situation. Sheriff was incensed the kid would have done a UE. ‘He should have known better than that, someone could have gotten hurt!’ were the words he used.
And yes, ‘evading a roadblock’ is a chargeable infraction in pretty much every place I’ve lived. Try it sometime.
A. You have connections.
B. They just didn’t see you or didn’t care because it was cold, raining or they’d already written their quota of tickets.
...and what if you were ripped? I assume they would have to take you in. Sounds like a neat way to have a DD checkpoint that can claim it is not a DD checkpoint.
You seemed to be focused on the voluntary aspect of the DNA.
I am focused on the Unconstitutional act of the RoadBlock !!!
I’ll bet every sample taken was numbered and the license plate noted, probably by video. They’re looking for someone.
“Alas, Babylon” was a good story. Kind of prophetic.
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