Sheriff's department patrols impaired driving
The department is taking a proactive approach to stop impaired driving.
Published Jan. 26, 2010
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On Sunday, cars pass at the intersection of Brown School and Providence roads. The intersection was the site of a recent sobriety checkpoint that took place early Saturday morning, during which the Boone County Sheriff's Department stopped about 50 vehicles.
Four drivers were arrested for driving while intoxicated during a DWI saturation and sobriety checkpoint conducted by the Boone County Sheriff's Department last weekend.
The saturation began Friday evening in a small portion of northwest Columbia and at a larger portion in rural Boone County north of Columbia, a sheriff's department news release stated. Ten deputies were focused on identifying and removing impaired drivers from the streets.
The same deputies from the saturation then set up and conducted a sobriety checkpoint at around 1 a.m. Saturday at the intersection of Brown School and Providence roads in Columbia, the news release stated. The checkpoint lasted about one hour.
"Checkpoints are late evening activities," sheriff's department Major Tom Reddin said. "Generally in large part because that's when the bars get out."
During the saturation, 18 traffic stops were conducted before the deputies moved onto the second half of their operation at the sobriety checkpoints, the release stated.
Reddin said the locations of checkpoints are usually decided depending on where there has been a history of impaired driving in a certain area.
"We also have to ask if the location will be able to handle the checkpoint safely," Reddin said.
About 50 vehicles passed through the checkpoint during its operation, the news release stated. Four people were arrested for driving while intoxicated and there were six other arrests made for other violations, the news release stated. One citation was issued for running a stop sign and 22 verbal warnings were issued for "other various violations."
Reddin said he was pleased by the effectiveness of the saturation as well as the checkpoint and hopes to keep the practice going.
"We've been very proactive in apprehending impaired drivers," Reddin said. "We've been fortunate in the past years to restructure our traffic department through resource allocation and increase the traffic unit."
The sheriff's department received a grant from the Missouri Department of Transportation Division of Highway Safety that paid for the saturation and checkpoint, the release stated.