Posted on 10/01/2007 6:37:03 PM PDT by elkfersupper
TAMPA - Had a few drinks before getting behind the wheel?
Think again. That harmless-looking minivan in the rearview mirror might be the neighbors on patrol.
That's how Mothers Against Drunk Driving pitched its latest plan to get impaired drivers off the roads.
Called the Traffic Observation Program, the pilot program is slated to begin in Hillsborough County and may become a statewide initiative, according to Don Murray, Florida's executive director for MADD.
The plan: Recruit 20 volunteers armed with donated cell phones and send them out in the middle of the night to watch for telltale signs of drunk drivers.
MADD has worked closely with the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office, so Murray suggested to other MADD members that the pilot program begin here.
Murray envisions a program that will pair up community members who are willing to go through a screening process, including a criminal background check and an interview to ensure that those going out on the streets have proper training and experience.
He wanted to make it clear that volunteers will not be acting like law enforcement.
"This isn't like a vigilante program," he said. "They won't be attempting to stop or in any way interacting with these vehicles. They're basically just observers."
Volunteers will go out in teams. They will drive their own vehicles and take GPS equipment, so they'll be able to find their way through unfamiliar areas for two to four hours of searching, Murray said. They'll be told ahead of time of the sometimes-subtle clues for drunk drivers, such as driving under the speed limit or lingering too long at a green light, Murray said.
"We certainly don't want our observers to be calling erroneous reports in," he said.
If participants spot a suspicious driver, they will jot down the license plate, a vehicle description and a location and notify the Sheriff's Office. It's up to the deputy to check out the vehicle to determine whether an arrest is appropriate, Murray said.
The program was Murray's idea, he said, inspired by worries of what potential budget cuts could do to law enforcement's DUI teams.
"They'll likely lose officers from the road," he said. "We were looking ahead to try to see what our organization can do."
Hillsborough sheriff's Cpl. Stephen Decatur said the program is just a formalized process for what already happens everyday: People call law enforcement when they see something suspicious.
He praised the idea, but he cautioned that it's vital that volunteers don't try to do the work of law enforcement in apprehending and accusing suspects.
"If anybody's overzealous, if they play outside the guidelines, then they're acting above and beyond just being observers," he said. "We want them to do it in a responsible manner, and it looks like the program is set up to do that."
Tampa police Cpl. Jared Douds had much the same reaction. It sounded like a Neighborhood Watch group for the roadways.
"Obviously anything that's going to get drunk drivers off the road, we're interested in," Douds. "That's certainly a positive for everybody."
Granted. But the MADD cause really is no different than the old Temperance movement.
These nannies need to get a life.
that is really really stupid logic. As long as you never do anything wrong, a Police State sounds fine for you.
Just wondering........will those whose arrest is generated by this wandering band of busy bodies, get a chance to face their accusers?
Cops have to testify in court, or will they be treated as confidential sources?
You really don't have to drive around needlessly. I observed an Imperial Beach city cop handling an accident with a rear end collision on I-5 south. I headed west on the freeway that parallels the border enroute to I-805 north to go home. About 1 mile along that route I saw a vehicle driving too slow due to a blown front left tire. The front of the vehicle was smashed. I put 2+2 together. I used the ham radio autopatch to call CHP dispatch (cell phones didn't exist at that time). I reported my location and a pair of CHP and on SDPD car surrounded the vehicle and pulled it over. Two Mexicans emerged. They couldn't even stand up. Both were combative and trying to beat the crap out of the CHP officers. I continued on my way home at that point. No extra CO2 necessary. Just two felony hit and run drunks removed from the road.
A couple years ago I was driving in Pocatello. A drunk entered the street just ahead of me. The guy was bouncing off the curbs (both sides). My wife called Pocatello PD dispatch directly. They were too busy to bother. The guy continued bouncing off curbs and running stop signs. I decided that it wasn't worth any further effort with Pocatello PD. The report was made on a TAPED line. Had the drunk killed someone, I would have made sure that the tape was pulled and the negligent boobs at Pocatello PD were exposed.
Don’t you mean that Carrie Nation is still alive.
Excellent point.
I see an opportunity for a group to identify the MADD among us. They can then bombard law enforcement with reports of erratic behavior or suspicious activity by those people. Ought to keep everyone busy for a while.
Spot on.
And if the MADD Moms show up to "observe" both at the scene and in court, then what?
No, I meant molly as in Molly Pitcher and the clubs. These idiots need to be stopped. Prohibition 2.0 will work no better than 1.0
Damned nanny state and and it’s Carrie Nation”alists”. If it wasn’t for my better half as tempering the thought by just being who she is, I sometimes feel the worst thing ever done was giving women the vote. < /a teeny bit of sarc>
;-P I’m in for it now!
I guess the “Zero Tolerance Throw The Book At ‘Em” crowd draws the line somewhere. Figures it would be drunk driving.
Of all that is so terribly wrong with this story, you’re worried about the safety of the Gestapo’s snitches?
I do the same here in my little corner of Maine, where apparently a red light is considered to be a personal affront by more than a few.
“They won’t have any means of bothering you.”
You have got to be sh!tting me. You can’t be that dumb and be a Freeper? God help us if that wasn’t missing the < /sarc> tag.
You have a way of cutting through the smokescreen.
LOL at your response, I was getting way too serious.
As long as they aren't interfering with law enforcement doing their job, they are neutral observers. Court rooms are public places. They are free to quietly observe there as well. If they happen to show up in the jury pool, you simply have your attorney challenge them.
I never get selected to serve on DUI juries. Having lost 5 classmates to drunk driving in high school before graduation day plays a part. Being a competent chemist with experience in gas chromatography eliminates having the defense attorney try to lie to my about the accuracy of laboratory equipment. Growing up with an alcoholic father is also a mitigating factor.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.