COLUMBIA — The Boone County Sheriff’s Department arrested one person for driving while intoxicated at a sobriety checkpoint Friday night in Hallsville, according to a new release.
Sgt. Scott Ewing, the supervisor of the department’s traffic enforcement unit, said he considered the operation a success.
“It’s not how many impaired drivers we arrest,” Ewing said. “It’s trying to get the message out there that drinking and driving is not cool.”
The checkpoint was a cooperative effort among the Sheriff’s department and the Hallsville and Columbia police departments.
Drivers who appeared intoxicated and failed the field sobriety test were taken a police station for a Breathalyzer test. Though only one driver was arrested on suspicion of driving while intoxicated, police made two arrests for possession of marijuana, two for possession of drug paraphernalia, one for an outstanding warrant and one for possession of a prohibited weapon — brass knuckles, the release stated.
Police officers and sheriff’s deputies checked 194 vehicles between 11 p.m. and 3 a.m. at the checkpoint, which was located at Route B North and Highway 124 North.
The Sheriff’s Department has a state grant to set up three sobriety checkpoints between May and September.
According to the release, officers and deputies made an additional arrest for driving with a suspended or revoked license and issued citations for driving without insurance, driving without a valid license plate and issued one citation for a stop sign violation.