Safety checkpoints get impaired drivers off the roads

LEE COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – State and local law enforcement officers had a big presence throughout Lee County Thursday evening and Friday morning. It was part of a saturation detail to serve felony warrants and also to make sure the streets were safe.

After making sure all agencies were on the same page regarding assignments for the evening, teams set out to serve felony warrants, and to set up safety checkpoints.

“Lee County is one of our higher rated counties for DUI fatalities so we will concentrate on DUIs,” said MHP Capt. Chad Moore.

Throughout the evening, there was a strong, visible concentrated effort at more than 20 checkpoints throughout Lee County.  Those checkpoints were manned by state troopers, Sheriff’s deputies, and other agencies, such as MDOC and the Alcoholic Beverage Commission.

“If you’re not breaking the law, you have no reason to be alarmed, you should be appreciative they’re out there getting people that are breaking the law off the streets,” said Lee County Sheriff Jim Johnson.

“It’s going to be more of a concentrated effort,” Capt. Moore said.

Social media sites were busy with notices about the high number of checkpoints. Law officers say the saturation details get proven results.

“We have had checkpoints, got people that committed murder and other stuff, or had one here a couple of months ago, a guy broke into somebody’s home and stole a bunch of property and we were able to recover that, these are good things,” Capt. Moore said.

The saturation detail resulted in 160 citations, 15 DUI arrests, and at least one felony arrest of cocaine possession.

The US Supreme Court ruled in 1990 that being stopped at a safety checkpoint does not violate a person’s Fourth Amendment protection from unreasonable searches and seizures.