DWI Drivers pleas Guilty

[Swimmy]

I'm all for OCSO absorbing NHPD, NYMPD, WPD, etc.

[frankcor]

I am not in favor, ever, of paying even just a tiny bit more in taxes of any kind. If the program is worthwhile, they must find a less-worthwhile program and stop doing that in order to fund the new program. Government already is sucking too much money out of the economy.

[wcup102]

The only way something like that would work is if either the county or cities agreed to combine their resources(personnel, funding, location, etc.) and put it together. The most logical place for a "central booking" would be at the jail. I believe with some relatively minor renovations, new computer equipment(terminals & software) it could really work. The all the agencies could access the database through remote terminals(their offices) to obtain any information. It s pretty much already in use in the form of the RICI system which most of the agencies can already access, I believe. It would only be a matter of geographical location and accomodating the influx of arrests with added personnel. Then the question arises, who's employees would they be, county, city, town? The idea needs to come from a politician so they can say it is their idea before anything gets done. I'm just a fleck of sand in God's sandbox if you know what I mean.

[thelma]

WCUP - with all the various law enforcement agencies involved in a worthwhile plan of having a Centralized Booking Center could ever be put together, accepted by the voters, and staffed properly - you will be retired!!!!!!!

[froggy]

thelma said:

WCUP - with all the various law enforcement agencies involved in a worthwhile plan of having a Centralized Booking Center could ever be put together, accepted by the voters, and staffed properly - you will be retired!!!!!!!

It all sounds good, up until localities have to lose some of their control. This issue of consolidating into a booking center is not much different from the issue with the County 911 vs New Hartford's. Last I read, the NH 911 system could not handle cell phone calls properly. They county however can. Why have redundant services that the taxpayers are shelling out for twice if you're a NH resident? It makes no sense at all to keep both going when one is far superior and has the resources to absorb the other.

[wcup102]

Thelma,

You make me laugh but you are probably right!!!! I don't think it is an issue of giving up control because agencies and taxpayers, I would assume, love to be able to free up their officers to provide more coverage on the street.

[Ralph]

I think it would be a great idea.
Law Enforcement is just that, no one should have "control" over something in the actual enforcement of it.

Just combine it all within the Sheriffs Dept. and assign the appropriate number of cars to service certain zones, same as UPD does.
It would also eliminate all the BS with jurisdictional boundaries as well

[dgriffin]

My memory is really hazy on this, but isn't there something to the way DWI's are processed in NY State that has to do with local revenue from the fines?

[thelma]

The last I knew, Dave, any fines or other monies collected in connection with a DWI arrest, the local judisdiction kept the money to fund future DWI arrests, roadblocks, equipment/cars, etc.

[Disgusted-Daily]

thelma,

I believe your correct. A certain percentage goes back to the arresting Police Department. I believe this is another reason for zero tolerance for a DWI. There is a lot of money distributed back to the Police Agency's

[froggy]

todd said:

thelma,

I believe your correct. A certain percentage goes back to the arresting Police Department. I believe this is another reason for zero tolerance for a DWI. There is a lot of money distributed back to the Police Agency's

And it is that money factor which makes me question the real intent of DWI checkpoints. Is it for public safety or is it a revenue stream? When you see a lot of these cases pled down to lower charges, the original fines still apply, so I have to seriously wonder if its all about the money at this point.

[dgriffin]

My policeman nephew in Massachusetts tells me he makes a lot of money on DWI. Overtime, court time, etc.

[dgriffin]

frankcor said:

I am not in favor, ever, of paying even just a tiny bit more in taxes of any kind. If the program is worthwhile, they must find a less-worthwhile program and stop doing that in order to fund the new program. Government already is sucking too much money out of the economy.

Why, Frank, how unpatriotic! I can see you're not a bend-over model citizen! But I have the same message for my school board. I always vote no on the budget and have stated (I know: who cares?) that the next time I'll vote yes is when the budget figure does down. I think that's pretty simple and it's a position I highly recommend. As the board member begins to tell me how impossible that is, I interrupt and tell them that's what I elected them to do.

[thelma]

Froggy = Remember one thing - being arrested for DWI is a "black and white" type of arrest. You either have drank too much - or you have not. It is nobody's "fault" but yours if you are arrested for DWI.

I'm all for the roadblocks - the more , the safer other drivers that do NOT drink are on the road. Too many innocent people have been killed by a drunken driver and the drunk walks away unhurt.

[froggy]

thelma said:

Froggy = Remember one thing - being arrested for DWI is a "black and white" type of arrest. You either have drank too much - or you have not. It is nobody's "fault" but yours if you are arrested for DWI.

I'm all for the roadblocks - the more , the safer other drivers that do NOT drink are on the road. Too many innocent people have been killed by a drunken driver and the drunk walks away unhurt.

If it were simply black and white, guys like Tom Anelli wouldn't have any law to practice. There are factors which make DWI laws and testing flawed.

Besides, more innocent people have been killed by reckless driving and high speed chases.

There was just a case I was reading about lately in another state, where a driver's ed teacher was charged with DUI while teaching. On the surface, the title of the article is shocking, which is why I had to read it. But once you read it, come to find out, the teacher passed all of the sobriety tests perfectly, except the breathalyzer. The students and the teacher himself all said he had taken a cough medicine and had not been drinking. And the only connection he had to driving was the fact that he put his hand on the steering wheel from the passenger seat when the police signaled to pull over.

Here, I found it:
www3.cw56.com/news/articles/local/BO74870/