The Webster Parish Sheriff’s Office, in partnership with the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, will conduct a sobriety checkpoint in Webster Parish beginning Friday.

“This will be the first sobriety checkpoint of 2010,” said Webster Parish Sheriff Gary Sexton. “It’s all in an effort to remind motorists of the need for continued safety on our roads.”

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 joint checkpoints conducted last year that resulted in the arrest of numerous offenders.

 

“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 not just a nighttime offense,” he concluded.

The Webster Parish Sobriety Checkpoint will take place this weekend beginning Friday, February 12through Sunday, February 14, 2010. 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.