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."
Save gas. Wait accross street from closing bars.
My comment was aimed at President Bush and others who called the Minute Men vigilantes. If the Minute Men are, then these people certainly are.
I like your line of thought.............also your screen name :)
Oh come now.... Just poison the beer. Problem Solved? No?
Think of the CHILDRENS. Please... The CHILDRENS. Save the CHILDRENS. Poison the beer!!!
I reported this as abuse.
When it becomes something that might infringe on them, they can’t have that.
But if it’s something that they don’t do at all, it’s perfectly all right to lock that person up for years.
The logical solution for bars is to require an exit breath test and ID before leaving bar. Failures are then reported to LEA’s with cross reference to registered auto’s.
Save that effort. Just close the bars.
Oh wait, we already tried that.
Last time it took a constitutional amendment. This time, all it took was a handful of propagandists.
From one of his posts: "My wife is a police dispatcher. Even if she was in a union, she wouldn't be permitted to strike. Ditto for the police officers and members of the fire department. Oddly, there is special legislation in Idaho for firefighters"<snip>....
and he is a "volunteer officer".
Go figure eh? Makes me think of the movie "Dumb and Dumber" Nice to go read their older posts. It makes them more transparent.
I reported this as abuse of "Abuse".
Why don’t we just cut the LEO out and force the bar to hang anyone over the limit in the parking lot.
Would save us some tax money.
Would you two quit the “self abuse” ;-)
Nice catch.
Bush was pandering to the press. The Minute Men were constrained to be observers, but they certainly had justification to be armed while working near the border. I had friends in Campo (San Diego county...near the border) who had illegals running across their land all night long. The illegals would break into the barn and sometimes their residence looking for food and valuables. Continuing to live in that area is as stupid as purposely venturing onto gang turf in the middle of the night. The smart people relocated. Law enforcement response times are upward of 40 minutes in that area.
Neither party qualifies as vigilantes. Rent a copy of "The Punisher" or any of the old Chuck Bronson movies. That is vigilante justice. It's also Hollywood farce. Don't try that at home.
Hangman’s Blood
Mix*
Mixed
*Gin, Whiskey, Rum, Port,
Brandy, Stout, Champagne
Oh, my.
Jealous. Everyone knows LesbianThespianGymnasticMidget can’t reach the self abuse button.
reading your postings is abuse.
Darn Vigilante
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