I'm not reading too many howls over last night's DUI checkpoint. Did anyone manage to hit the strategic location?
Was I mistaken or did the powers-that-be really have the Pomona PD do a checkpoint eastbound on Temple Ave. near the 57 freeway? I guess that location could see its fair share of college age drunk drivers, but I just can't shed the thought that demographics and advocacy at the City Council level played a role in a public safety decision.
As for the tally of drivers, I'll probably wait for the unofficial results to be posted on the DB, but if any informed readers want to volunteer the numbers, don't be shy.
JUST IN:
1566 drivers were screened in 7.5 hours
3 people were arrested for DUIs
68 traffic citations
48 vehicles impounded
If I learned anything during my drive back from Walnut during the crackdown, I now will officially put my two cents in favor of more saturation patrols. Other than constantly checking my speedometer, double-checking my back pocket for my wallet, and sweating whether I'd make it through the green light, the increased presence of officers on the street explicitly looking for traffic violators was a refreshing change.
And lastly,.........thank you Pomona PD! Walking up to vehicles with unidentified occupants in the wee hours of the morning deserves far more appreciation and compensation than I can muster in a little blog post.
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15 comments:
I'm glad to hear we had one!
Actually a logical place because it is down the street from Scoreboard's, which has had problems in the past.
3 DUI arrests -- not too shabby.
Actually, the checkpoint was almost across the street from Scoreboard's and covered only the eastbound traffic. If the DUIs originated in Scoreboard's, thank heaven the Pomona PD yanked those idiots off the road.
Perhaps this info was covered at the City Council meeting, but I would be interested in whether the data represented only the checkpoint or also the saturation patrols. 48 vehicles impounded.....WOW! (scratching head) What were the violations?
Oh, being brown, no doubt.
I'm brown and I support the checkpoints. If you're drunk, unlicensed or uninsured, you shouldn't be driving, period. My car has been hit by an uninsured person before. I still don't understand why the so called 'people' get upset. It's silly.
Oh please Meg you're SO 1990's leftist tool.
Probably didn't have insurance, which is a requirement to operate a motor vehicle on California roads.
Maybe the "brown" man should get a pass on obeying this law as well, or maybe you just don't know enough people whose lives have been CRUSHED by auto accidents caused by (usually drunk) uninsured illegals.
I do.
On the issue of documents requested, should they be asking for insurance? When I've managed to hit the checkpoints, they've only asked for ID. I'd be interested in hearing other's experiences and please indicate what city the checkpoint occurred in.
Dave, I probably am a leftist tool, although I don't know about the 1990s part. I do know people who have had their lives massively altered by a drunk or uninsured driver.
But I also get caught in checkpoints fairly often, where I -- a white leftist tool -- get waved through without so much as a peak at my paperwork, while everyone brown, even those in much nicer cars than mine, get the third degree.
I could be an unlicensed, uninsured, undocumented Irish immigrant (and none of the residents I know from Ireland are legal, I'll have you know), but I'd never get caught, because I have protective coloring.
One of the things that chaps my hide, as I've said before, is trumpeting checkpoints as being focused on DUIs, whereas they're really all about catching illegal immigrants. Illegal immigration is a thorny issue, and one on which I don't have a firm stance, but the hypocrisy of going on about DUIs bugs me no end.
I'm the previous anonymous 'brown' poster above. There are also people of other colors (black, white) who have also been caught without licenses/insurance. It's just that the numbers don't jive because a city that is probably 70% hispanic will generate more hispanics. Plain and simple. 7 out of 10 will be hispanics. As for asking for insurance IDs, this is no longer necessary, as your vehicle's license plate will bring it up in the police computer. This is due to the fact that many people would argue that they didnt have the insurance card in their vehicles. Now all law enforcement can pull it up on the computer, therefore no need to ask you for it. They will ask you if it doesn't show up on the computer.
also, many of the cars pulled over had expired tags. This is a totally obvious violation, and generally they will also not have insurance.
ok im done... thanks again for this great site!
DUI checkpoints are here to stay. Law abiding citizens have nothing to fear. Law-Breakers do. Let's move past to ignorant racist comments to the no-brainer facts. Pomona is 73% Hispanic, thus 73% of those going thru a checkpoint will be Hispanic. Of the 73% Hispanic group, many will be ILLEGAL drivers. No license, no registration and no insurance are against American law....period. Why don't those of you calling checkpoints "racist and in-sensitive....put your energy into a saying and doing something constructive, healthy and wise, by finding ways to help your Illegal drivers get to their destinations. Be a driver...?? for them or arrange a cab service..?? but in the meantime, please keep your racist comments to yourself. Speak intelligently and factually and I will listen to you. Speak anger against white or non-Hispanics, and I view you as ignorant.
DUI checkpoints are here to stay. Law abiding citizens have nothing to fear. Law-Breakers do. Let's move past to ignorant racist comments to the no-brainer facts. Pomona is 73% Hispanic, thus 73% of those going thru a checkpoint will be Hispanic. Of the 73% Hispanic group, many will be ILLEGAL drivers. No license, no registration and no insurance are against American law....period. Why don't those of you calling checkpoints "racist and in-sensitive....put your energy into a saying and doing something constructive, healthy and wise, by finding ways to help your Illegal drivers get to their destinations. Be a driver...?? for them or arrange a cab service..?? but in the meantime, please keep your racist comments to yourself. Speak intelligently and factually and I will listen to you. Speak anger against white or non-Hispanics, and I view you as ignorant.
Anon, from what I can tell, I'm the only person here grousing about the racially-motivated hypocrisy of the checkpoints. So I'm assuming that your "you"s are addressed to me.
You don't have to agree with me -- hell, no one else here does -- but since this is my blog, I suggest that instead of telling me to "keep [my] racist comments to [my]self," you stop reading if it upsets you so. There are several wonderful Pomona blogs that are less likely to feature such a diversity of opinion.
Although I don't share Meg's distaste for the checkpoints, I do agree with the identified hypocrisy of labeling them dui checkpoints (and I wish our legislators would do the right thing).
Now, should I could complain that Anon wants to proclaim as ignorant anyone who "speak(s) anger against whites or non-hispanics" and yet generalizes that "of the 73% Hispanic group, many will be ILLEGAL drivers"? Nope, instead, I'll just second Meg's comments.
Meg, I can only say you are wise beyond your years. Using checkpoints as a justification for finding DUI's, when there about something all together different is simply wrong. I go through the checkpoints on a regular basis and must agree with your assessment of how non-hispanics are handled compared to drivers of hispanic heritage.
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