E-mail
PrintCOLUMBIA —Police arrested six people on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol early Friday morning at a sobriety checkpoint on Broadway near West Boulevard, said Sgt. Curtis Perkins, supervisor of the Columbia Police Department's traffic unit.
Between midnight and 2:45 a.m., police stopped 152 cars. In addition to six DUI arrests, one arrest was made for suspicion of distributing imitation controlled substances, Perkins said.
He said he hopes that "enforcement, education and deterrence at the checkpoints are all factors that will help prevent people from drinking and driving" and lead to fewer DUI arrests in the future.
"Our concern is, can we remove the people who are making these choices from the roadway," Perkins said.
Columbia police worked overtime throughout the week of Sept. 19, participating in a statewide crackdown on drunken driving included in the ongoing You Drink & Drive, You Lose campaign.
Since 2007, Columbia police have monitored several checkpoints each year, Perkins said. The Missouri Division of Highway Safety provides grant money every year to fund increased enforcement efforts; the Columbia police department has applied for the funds again for the upcoming year, Perkins said. Data — including the number of DUI arrests and the number of injury accidents associated with driving while intoxicated — will determine whether the department receives the grant.
Show Me the Errors 
Comments
Checkpoints = Bad
Saturation Patrols = Good
Checkpoints won't have an effect on my drinking and driving habits. I choose not to. It will however have a major effect on my perceptions of law enforcement. "Papers please" checkpoints are an hallmark of an oppressive force and not of one to serve. Make no mistake that this is not a common thought. When the police force's agenda becomes more important to serve than the peoples rights and freedoms, then you have a police state. Welcome...
"Imitation controlled substances"?!? LOL, That's a new one. Apparently someone was packing enough K2 or similar to get nailed with a distribution charge. It probably only takes 2 packages, instead of one, to get charged with 'distribution.'
That stuff used to just give people heart palpitations and lousy highs; there wasn't actually a crime taking place. Now, thanks to new laws, there is a crime taking place. It should be obvious that the law is what's creating more crime (and all it's associated expenses), not what the law is trying to prohibit.
Send them to IRAQ!!!
Derrick, not necessarily K2. Dealers have sold fake cocaine and marijuana for years. For instance, the murder on Quail Drive a couple years ago involved one of the actors selling alfalfa bales (I presume like is given to a guinea pig) as marijuana.