Developing and Implementing a Comprehensive Sobriety Check Point Plan

Lt. Garrett Vowell #87Impaired Driving Enforcement Coordinator

Remember- Your Operations Order will be subpoened in court!So....Take the time to “PLAN YOUR WORK” properly before you “WORK YOUR PLAN”!

The operation must be rationally related to the stated public purpose;

The operation must be carried out in accordance with the agency guidelines limiting officer discretion and assuring all motorists are treated equally; and

The operation must be planned and carried out in a manner that minimizes invasion of motorist privacy.

Specific standards to be considered

The stated purpose of the operation; The approval of superior officers; The degree of compliance with the

established agency standards; The time, location, and duration of the

checkpoint; The steps taken to inform motorists of the

reason for the stop; and The duration of the individual stop. Safety is of high importance, have a good

traffic flow plan.

Old Operations Order

Basic operating orders describing the who, what, when, where, and why for DUI event.

New Operations Order

ICS Incident Command System

Are you required to be NIMS compliant?

Developing and Implementing Procedures for Checkpoints Using Minimal Staffing Levels

Lt. Garrett Vowell #87Impaired Driving Enforcement Coordinator

SAFETYCheckpoints must have an efficient number of Law Enforcement personnel to handle the size of the event, BIG or small.

I-44 Oklahoma/Texas border

Extremely large checkpoints can become tiresome, usually leading to personnel standing around. This checkpoint area is conducted by two Troopers on a regular basis.

Choose multiple locations for checkpoints and set them up for 30 minutes at a time.

Work a checkpoint for 30 minutes, saturate for an hour, then set up at a different location for 30 minutes, saturate for an hour, move to next location.

Keeps the public (social media) from avoiding a checkpoint.

If you only have one area for a checkpoint- set it up for and hour, shut it down and saturate for an hour or two, then go back and set up the same checkpoint again.

You can run saturation patrols while checkpoints are being conducted.

Have one or two units saturating the outer areas of your checkpoint, they will usually be more productive than the units at the checkpoint!

Remember our goal

If the word is out that we are doing checkpoints or saturating an area and people stay home, get a cab, use a designated driver, etc,

WE HAVE WON HALF THE BATTLE........