Sobriety Checkpoint Operations
L. R. “Bob” Jacob, Director, Institute of Police
Technology and Management
Charles Andrew, Major, Alabama Department of
Public Safety
Developing a Foundation
 Purpose of Sobriety
Checkpoints
 Securing Appropriate Staffing
 Mutual Aid
 Support Personnel
Community Support
 Public Speaking
 Special Interest Groups
Agency Policy
 Purpose
 Authorization
 Media Notification
 Site Selection
 Operational Plan
 Michigan vs. Sitz
Operational Plan
 The most critical factor to a roadblock
 Purpose of the Plan
 Plan should include:
 Who is in charge
 Job duties of those involved
 Arrest procedures, processing
 Documentation of the operation
Problem Identification/ Site Selection
 Traffic History
 Alcohol and Drug related crashes
 High volume of Traffic Violations
 Safety
 Speed of traffic
 Other conditions
 Officer safety is important!
Planning
 Authorization
 Follow department policy
 Approval from High Level Administrator
 Traffic Engineering
 Motorist and Checkpoint Personnel safety
 Obtain Traffic count
 Should follow MUTCD
 Ask DOT to review plan
 Site Property Owner
 Permission
 Interference with business
 Cleanliness
Planning
 Assisting Agencies and Companies
 Give them advanced notice !!!!
 Tow companies
 Jail
 Breath Testing operators
 Fire rescue
 Citizen groups
 MADD
Planning
Media Coordination
Press release
 Increases the deterrent effect
 Handled by CO or PIO
 Timely
 Send them your After Action Report ASAP !!!!
Planning
Media Coordination
 Access to the checkpoint
 Access
 Set a policy
 Be as liberal as possible
 Restrictions
 CO can limit access as a safety concern
Planning
Equipment and Facilities
 Port-a-potties
 Cone and barricades
 Advanced signage
 Breath Testing Equipment
 Message Boards
 Light Towers
 Camera Equipment
 Prisoner Transport
Planning
Site Selection
 Conducive Area
 Street lights
 Portable lighting
 Large area
 Clear open parking lot
 Room for various types of equipment
 Room to pull vehicles off for interviews
 Room for SFST
Planning
OFFICER SAFETY !!!!!
 Agency Approved Uniform
 Traffic Vest
 Flashlights with light cones
 Emergency lights activated at checkpoint entrance
 Wide enough lanes
Planning
Site Considerations
 SFST/video testing area
 Breath testing area
 Booking area
 Detention area
 Approach lanes
 Check Point Lanes
 Ticket Staging Area
 Vehicle Staging Area
Personnel Selection and Positions
 Command Officer (CO)
 Responsibility
 Lead member of supervisory rank
 Coordinate all checkpoint activities, staffing, operations,
briefing, debriefing, and overall supervision
Personnel Selection and Positions
 Qualifications
 High Caliber, well trained
 Proven proficiency in detection of impaired drivers
 Accurately perform SFST’s
 Willingness to participate fully in checkpoint activities !!!!!!!!!
Personnel Selection and Positions
 Initial Contact Procedures
 Each agency/Checkpoint sponsor must adopt and
document it’s own initial contact statement
 Based on needs and ops plan for CRSC
 The Checkpoint line personnel must follow the approved
statement, without deviation
Personnel Selection and Positions
 Roving Patrol Officers (RPO) optional
 Patrol adjacent roadways
 Make stops as violations occur
 Transport drivers to be arrested to the CRSC and process as if
stopped in the CRSC
 Public Information Officer (PIO)
 Should handle all press releases
 Needs to be on scene if press is on scene
Personnel Selection and Positions
 Traffic Control Person (TCP) Optional
 Walks CRSC checking traffic control devices
 Can survey drivers waiting to enter the checkpoint
 Can see if drivers change position prior to reaching the line
 K-9 Officer (optional)
 Follow procedures set forth in the ops plan
Personnel Selection and Positions
 Other Specialized Persons
 Multi-lingual personnel
 DRE
Checkpoint Operations
Pre-Checkpoint Operations
 Task must be performed prior to the checkpoint and must be
documented in the OPS plan
 Approval of the checkpoint from appropriate authority
Checkpoint Operations
Site selection
 Based on appropriate criteria
 Notification and permission of property owners
 Approval of traffic flow plan (if required)
 Site diagram prepared and attached to OPS plan
Checkpoint Operations
 PIO does CRSC press release
 Interagency Notification
 Officer Notification
Checkpoint Operations
 Checkpoint Briefing
 Everyone participating must attend the briefing and sign in
 Sign in sheet
 Should be held in a controlled area
 Review officer safety issues
Checkpoint Operations
 Contact Procedures
 Use of Standard Greeting
Checkpoint Operations
 Set Up
 CO will designate set up crew
 Equipment to set up may include
 Traffic cones
 Portable lighting
 Video equipment
 Intoxilyzer
 Generators
 Sign boards
Checkpoint Operations
Arrest Procedures
 Should be outlined in the OPS plan
 Arrest documentation
 Each officer should fill out an activity log and turn it in during
the debriefing
Checkpoint Operations
 Site Conditions and Maintenance
 CO should monitor all areas of the CRSC
 Traffic control personnel should maintain approach area
 CO should take corrective action
Checkpoint Operations
 Proper coordination
No plan is perfect, the CO should make
changes as needed (Document !!!!)
Checkpoint Operations
Items that require monitoring
 Assignments
 Officer Safety
 Safety of civilians
 Adjust traffic flow and selection sequence
(document)
 Document all changes
Checkpoint Operations
 DOCUMENTATION
 Extremely Important in maintaining the integrity of the
stops and arrest made
 The Data Collection Scribe should document all changes
or activities
Checkpoint Operations
 Information that should be collected
 Time CRSC opened
 Number of vehicles that passed through the CRSC
 Number of vehicles diverted into the CRSC
 Time CRSC closed
 Changes in the stop sequence and why
 Unreasonable delays and why
 Periodic time checks of flow (15 minutes)
Checkpoint Operations
Data Collection Sheet
 What ever means is used to collect the data will be
scrutinized by the court
 Should include
 Name of scribe
 Date of CRSC
 Start time
 Stop Time
Checkpoint Operations
 Total number of vehicles passed through the
CRSC
 Total number of vehicles diverted and stopped
 Average delay
 Change of Sequence
 Traffic Back ups
 Resume after traffic back up
 Number of oversized vehicles stopped and
checked
Checkpoint Operations
 Tear Down
 Officers wear safety vest
 Use marked vehicles with emergency equipment
 Insure all equipment is returned
 Clean up
Checkpoint Operations
Press Information Dissemination
 Release
 ASAP
 Just send stats, they can get after action report later
 Send After-action report to:
 SAO
 Head of lead agency
 Head of each agency
 Drivers license- Administrative hearing office
 Media
 Any agency with interest