Norman police conduct checkpoints"Hello, sir. I'm with the Norman Police Department and we're conducting a DUI checkpoint tonight. Have you been drinking?"
The answer Friday night and into early Saturday morning was resoundingly "No," followed by an explanation of some kind such as "I just got off work," "I've been fishing out at the lake" or "We just came back from graduation."
The NPD sobriety checkpoint was a success, M.P.O. Lance Arnold said.
Officers stopped 565 cars going east and west on Lindsey Street near Wiley Road. They only arrested four people for driving under the influence between 11:30 p.m. and 3 a.m. One of those also was arrested for possession of a controlled dangerous substance and another was cited for controlling an open container.
That low number of arrests means these checkpoints have been working.
"Deterrence is the main thing we're seeking in one of these things," Arnold said.
Police have noticed a decrease in arrests since they restarted DUI checkpoints about three years ago. For example, Arnold said when they conducted the first one near Lake Thunderbird they arrested 15 people for driving under the influence in the first 45 minutes. A year later they held one at the same place and only arrested three or four the whole time.
And even the four arrests at the checkpoint Friday night means four drunk drivers were taken off the road.
An older gentleman was the first arrest of the night shortly after midnight. He told officers he was on his way home to Edmond and tried to convince them to let him just get a room for the night instead of arresting him. The officers didn't go for the deal, instead arresting him and handcuffing him before transporting him to jail.
A young man was discovered driving a car through the checkpoint. He seemed under the influence of drugs, but denied using any, Officer Jeff Casillas said instead of involving him with the law, the officers called his parents to pick him up.
Officer Jason Schneider had worked one DUI checkpoint before. He said people can respond to the checkpoint in strange ways. Some try to drive around the checkpoint, but are apprehended by officers in "chase cars" stationed at either end of the checkpoint.
One 18-year-old man Schneider arrested for DUI last time told him he'd ruined his life. Schneider said he replied he didn't make the young man drink and drive.
Most of the drivers going through the checkpoint Friday night were polite. Some thanked the officers and wished them well. Workers from Pizza Shuttle across the street even brought the officers complementary pizza.
Arnold said when the checkpoints were started up again three years ago, many of the drivers who were stopped would be angry or rude.
"The vast majority now are very positive, thanking us for doing what we're doing," Arnold said.
One of the main reasons citizens are so positive now is they see the checkpoints aren't that disruptive. With about 15 officers working the checkpoint, cars go through quickly.
Officers try to limit their interactions with each driver to less than 30 seconds. A brief introduction to what they're doing and a few questions is enough.
"You can pretty much tell," Arnold said. "You can smell it or by the way someone acts."
Those drivers who were suspicious were told to drive into a nearby parking lot where officers conducted standard field sobriety tests.
The drivers got out of their vehicles and were made to walk in a line or follow the officer's finger from left to right and back. Many of those pulled over for further testing were then released.
The goal of the checkpoint isn't to deter drinking, but intoxicated driving, Capt. J.D. Younger said. Officers were encouraged by the designated drivers they met and the taxis that left the parking lot from Opie's Club nearby.
Ultimately, the DUI checkpoint is meant to raise awareness about drunk driving.
"I think the common thing you see with most people who drink and drive is they haven't thought about it beforehand," Younger said.
And it's important to think about it, because 35-40 percent of all fatal car crashes involve alcohol, Arnold said. More people are killed by drunk drivers in the U.S. than all violent crime combined, he said.
The Norman Police Department's DUI checkpoints are conducted by officers on overtime, not taking away anyone on normal patrols, Arnold said. The overtime is paid for through grants, so the cost to the city is negligible, he said.
The police department will conduct another DUI checkpoint this holiday weekend to try to keep the roads safe.
"This is unfortunately one of those weekends where the state highway department sends out on Tuesday how many people died over the weekend," Arnold said.
Hopefully, Arnold said, drivers will plan ahead and make good decisions. And hopefully, the DUI checkpoint will help.
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