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."
It worried me more when they kept dialing down what constitutes DUI.
It began to bother me a whole bunch when they succeeded in getting these infernal roadblocks going and getting the primary seatbelt laws passed.
When they started showing up to "observe" roadblocks, hearings and trials, I became outraged.
Now, they're being sanctioned by law enforcement to go on patrol.
What could possibly go wrong?
Ping.
I’ve had more trouble with cell phone users than drinkers....especially the gabby girlz and their parent provided vehicles.
Molly is back. Prohibition 2.0
You forget the potential humor value. There is a neighborhood activist in the DFW area that filmed the drunks that were leaveing clubs and going into the neighborhoods. The videos are Internet Classics.
www.barkingdogs.org
Unleash the designated decoys, and let the games begin. :)
They will do more harm than good.
Agreed.
Once upon a time they were worthy of some sympathy but their emotion driven legislation and constant harangues has taken sympathy out of the equation.
"We certainly don't want our observers to be calling erroneous reports in," he said.
Drunk driving can cause many tragedies, but this could get a lot of innocent people in trouble for no reason.
I salute their grassroots activism. But they need to know that they are dealing with drunks. And drunks are notoriously unpredictable and easily angered. I can see this turning out badly about the time some biker wino gets tired of Safety Sandy tailing him, pulls the car over, and drags Sandy out for a boozy come-ta-Jezuz. For cripes’ sake, these guys will often fight armed, trained cops. They aren’t going to have much trouble drawing down on some plump hausfrau who’s playing Gladys Kravitz.
They will,and in their zeal they will poison any possible prosecution.
It's funny how the Minutemen were vigilantes yet these folks are not.
ATTENTION HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY RESIDENTS: As you drive around your community not exceeding the posted speed limits and ensuring an intersection is clear before entering it, please report any suspicious vehicles that follow you to the Hillsborough County Sheriff's office. Thank you for your cooperation.
Better not cut one of them off in traffic, or "steal" "their" parking place at the mall or grocery store.
You and yours will be in for a world of hurt.
Nanny State Ping.........
I enjoy my beer as much as the next gal, and I want to keep drunk drivers off the road as much as anyone, but I’m sorry -— this is over the top in my opinion.
last time I read about a group doing this, there were incidents of “revenge reports”. Observers were getting back at someone for a personal vendetta.
MADD has outlived its usefulness.
Apparently there (paid) promotional effort for breath interlock devices has failed.
The founding mother of MADD quit long ago due to the organizations excessive focus of money over cause.
Isn’t this vigilantism? Sure sounds like it to me.
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