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Press Releases>
Webster Sheriff schedules weekend sobriety checkpoint
- ‘Back-to-school’ generates increased need for roadway safety
Webster Parish, La. --
Aug 18, 2009 --
August 18, 2009 – Webster Parish, La.-- The Webster Parish Sheriff’s Department announced today that it will partner with the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries for a second time this year to conduct a DWI Sobriety Checkpoint project. In an effort to remind motorists of the increased need for safety during school months, these agencies have chosen this weekend to conduct a specialized measure of monitoring and enforcement along the roadways of Webster Parish.
“Our children are back in school, young drivers will be traveling more on our roads, and games and other activities result in increased traffic on weekends,” explains Webster Parish Sheriff Gary Sexton. “We want drivers to have added and enhanced awareness on the roads for the safety of our kids, especially. These checkpoints are deliberate methods of reminding drivers of what is acceptable—and what is not.”
The Sheriff’s Department chose to partner with Wildlife and Fisheries again for more reasons than the goal they share. The Department was pleased to have the opportunity to share access to Wildlife and Fisheries’ Intoxilyzer Van, a mobile office and command center complete with an Intoxilyzer 5000, during a joint checkpoint conducted earlier this year that resulted in the arrest of six and citation of more than twenty drivers and passengers.
“The mobile unit allows officers to immediately capture the blood alcohol content of individuals suspected of intoxication and impaired operation of a vehicle,” said Sexton. “Having use of this equipment and the professional assistance of the Wildlife and Fisheries agents will again make our efforts more effective and efficient.”
Webster Sheriff’s Chief Deputy Bobby Igo, who also serves as the director of the Sheriff’s Community Action Directive Patrol team, indicated that this specialized team will be involved in the effort. “We’ll have CAD patrol members there to not only participate in the task, but also to identify what areas our office should better focus on in the future,” he said. “This team helps us to identify our problem areas and develop solutions for those concerns.”
Impaired driving is an issue that concerns law enforcement across the nation. According to Igo, it is common for drivers to look for ways to justify their illegal actions. “Many times drivers will say, ‘well I only had two beers’, or ‘it’s only ten in the morning’,” he explained. “A DWI is not about ‘how many’, but rather about how the alcohol has affected your body—and it’s absolutely not just a nighttime offense,” he concluded.
The Webster Parish DWI Sobriety Checkpoint will take place this weekend through Sunday, August 23. Drivers who encounter this checkpoint will need to expect a slight delay in travel and are asked to be cooperative and understanding while officers and agents may choose to conduct a brief search of the vehicle or ask to speak with the operator and/or passengers.
Webster Parish Sheriff's Department
Sheriff Gary S. Sexton
410 Main Street
P.O. Box 877
Minden, LA 71058
318-377-1515
admin@webstersheriff.org
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