DUI check stops 633 cars; nets 1 arrest

SARASOTA COUNTY - For more than four hours last weekend, two dozen deputies and officers set up a sobriety checkpoint and stopped every car going south on U.S. 41 in North Port.

Out of 633 cars stopped, police made only one DUI-related arrest.

The lack of arrests gives fuel to a long-standing criticism of DUI checkpoints that are usually set up during holidays.

"They're just not a particularly effective way to spend law enforcement dollars," said Sarasota defense attorney Tom Hudson, who has studied the results of the checkpoints in Sarasota and Manatee counties.

Hudson found that only about 2 percent of drivers stopped at the checkpoints are arrested on drunken driving charges. A national study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found similar results.

If those officers patrolled for four hours, they would almost certainly find more than one drunken driver, Hudson and other defense attorneys said.

The American Beverage Institute agrees, saying roving police patrols are three to 10 times more effective at catching dangerous drivers, and also focused on other dangerous activities like speeding or texting while driving.

The Beverage Institute, which represents restaurants, says checkpoints are becoming less effective because people can find and share the location, either with text messaging or even a cell phone application called "Trapster."

"If you're the kind of person driving drunk and look to avoid checkpoint, there are myriad ways to do so," said Sarah Longwell, managing director of the institute.

Still, sobriety checkpoints consistently reduced alcohol-related crashes, typically by about 20 percent, according to a 2002 study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

DUI arrests in Sarasota County are on the rise. DUI enforcement is one of Sheriff Tom Knight's priorities, and checkpoints have an educational component beyond the arrests.

"It makes a very visible statement, but certainly it's in driver's minds for months to come, if not forever," said Wendy Rose, sheriff's spokeswoman.

Friday's checkpoint, set up at 13000 Tamiami Trail with deputies and North Port Police officers, also resulted in one arrest for drug possession and two arrests for no valid driver's license, the Sheriff's Office said.

Another 50 traffic citations were issued for various violations.

The Sheriff's Office said it chose the location because there are usually six to nine DUI arrests there.

Rose said the low result could be because of a prominent year-round education campaign about DUI enforcement efforts and responsible citizens not wanting to take a chance around the holidays.

"Ultimately, fewer drunk drivers were on the road this weekend. Isn't that our goal?" Rose said.