Overland Park Police Will Conduct Saturation Patrols Tonight

The Overland Park Police Department will be conducting a saturation patrol tonight, looking for people who are driving impaired. This enforcement effort will take place in the Overland Park area from 10 p.m. through 2 a.m.

Overland Park Traffic Safety officers will be patrolling the city looking for drivers who appear to be impaired. Those suspicious drivers that are pulled over by the patrol will be required to perform a series of field sobriety tests. The police officers also plan on keeping an eye out for those under the influence of illegal drugs, or prescription drugs that should not be taken by anyone operating a vehicle.

A saturation patrol is a common police tactic in which a large number of police officers focus on a relatively small geographic area. Multiple agencies often combine and concentrate their resources on one area during these patrols to maximize efficiency. Many police forces have used this tactic following sports events or other occurrences when there is potential for a large number of impaired drivers to be on the road.

Saturation patrols have been an effective tool for reducing drunk-driving incidents in many other communities. Kansas City has had several traffic incidents caused by alcohol over the past several months, so it is no surprise that police have begun cracking down. Many Overland Park residents choose to visit downtown bars and restaurants on the weekends, making the suburb a likely target for police.

The Overland Park police department asks that anyone who sees a driver that appears to be impaired report them by calling dispatch at 913-895-6300.

KCMB Kansas City News, official kc news site with breaking stories on The Kansas City Royals, Chiefs, charity events, the 2012 MLB All Star Game, weather, sports, MU, KU, ufo sightings, dui checkpoints, Kansas City neighborhoods, nightlife, concerts, the Sprint Center, the Power and Light District and current Kansas City news articles.

Kansas City Police Announce Sobriety Checkpoints For This Weekend

Checkpoints Kansas City - DUI - Sept 24th 25th

When going out on the town this weekend, make sure you save some cash for a cab or strap on some comfortable walking shoes. Driving may be a bad idea, given that the Kansas City Police Department has announced it will be conducting several sobriety checkpoints all weekend long in the Kansas City metro area.

The police are not releasing the times and locations of the checkpoints, however given that 80% of Kansas City roads are closed as usual due to construction, it may be hard to avoid the checkpoints when entering and leaving the downtown area. The police did mention that the checkpoints will occur at areas known for having DUI related crashes or arrests. Signs will be placed in advance of the checkpoints.

Kansas City Police have been able to make several arrests every time checkpoints are set up, however drunken driving arrests have decreased since the police started announcing the sobriety checkpoints in advance. Hopefully this warning scares more people into finding an alternative way home when they have been drinking.

Missouri Police Announce More Sobriety Checkpoints

After stopping over 500 vehicles last Saturday night and making 18 arrests, Kansas City, MO police announced that they will continue to crack down on impaired driving this coming week.

Law enforcement announced that it will be out in full force along 1-70 this weekend, continuing the state’s “Heat is On” campaign to crack down on impaired drivers.

The number of arrests and drivers removed from the road from these future checkpoints should be an indicator to the effectiveness of the state’s campaign to prevent drinking and driving. The 18 arrests being made during the last checkpoint suggest that a high number of residents are willing to drive impaired despite the threat of sobriety checkpoints.

Announcing the sobriety checkpoints in advance could help convince impaired drivers to stay off the road, a proactive approach from the Kansas City, MO Police Department to cut back on drunk driving.

Sobriety Checkpoints Attempt to Keep Drunk Drivers off the Road

Kansas City police continue to crack down on drunk driving through the use of sobriety checkpoints, as 18 impaired drivers were arrested Saturday night at a checkpoint on Wornall Road.

Over 500 vehicles were stopped from between 11 p.m. and 4. a.m., with drivers being arrested for impaired driving, possession of drugs and outstanding warrants.

This is another episode in the Kansas City police’s attempt to cut down on impaired driving, as random checkpoints have been one tool officers have used to cut down on drinking and driving. However, the amount of drivers arrested suggests that despite the known threat of a checkpoint, Kansas City citizens are still willing to drive home after drinking in the downtown area.

While sobriety checkpoints do remove impaired drivers from the road, it is important for police to take more proactive measures to help prevent drunk driving to begin with. If citizens knew of sobriety checkpoints before hand, it could be a measure to help convince them to take a cab or find another ride home. Drivers may still drive and find an alternative route around the checkpoint, but police need to take as many measures as they can to prevent impaired drivers from getting behind the wheel to start. Whether sobriety checkpoints and their consequences will have a long-term effect on the number of Kansas City residents who drive impaired or is simply a method of removing drunk drivers from the road remains to be seen.