Portsmouth police write 48 tickets at checkpoint

Kudos to the PPD for doing their job! I had no idea thet checkpoints caused "herpes" (Patriot) or the start of a "police state" because the police are conducting a legal act of checking to see if drivers of vehicles are "within the legal requirements" to do so. Or in state of mind so as not to injure or kill themselves or innocent others! Maybe everyone with a Va. drivers license should read up on the drivers manual and realize when you sign your license, you are signing to agree to submit to be tested for DUI if you are suspected of doing so. Yes, this would include during the "Legal" process of conducting a Check Point! Driving is a privilege not a right. Certain requirements have to be met to be licensed. You have the "RIGHT" to qualify to drive, "NOT THE RIGHT TO DRIVE." You must continue to meet the driving licensing requirements, which include not driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.!

So, it is alright with you that you be stopped on the street for no reason and be searched for drugs or contraband? Just for the mere fact you are on the street? It is OK with you that you are assumed to be a drug dealer unless otherwise proven to be by a police officer? We will need pedestrian licenses before long.

As a PORTSMOUTH RESIDENT, I thank you for your efforts and for taking unlicensed and drunk drivers off the roads that I and my family travel every day.

To the naysayers, go argue with the Supreme Court if you think this is a 4th amendment violation. But, just remember, it could be you or one of your loved ones left killed or injured by a driver with no insurance (i.e., the suspended licenses) or by a drunk driver.

The Fourth Amendment: The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.
I stand by my original comment.

It's amazing how little all the "bathroom lawyers" know. Yes the PPD would much prefer to be catching real bad guys. But they stay so busy dealing with you stupid people that choose to ignore the law and keeping good people safe from you it's hard to find time. Personally I'm very proud of the PPD and I think they do a wonderful job. As for you stupid people out there --- they will get to you!

Driving is a privilege. If a checkpoint takes DUI's and drivers with suspended licenses off the road I have no problem with it.

Good work PPD.

For taking two drunk drivers off the road, the whole thing was worth it! If people don't break the law, they don't have to worry about going through a checkpoint, plain and simple. The checkpoints are random: one day it could be at that place, the next at another place. IMO, we need more of them. Bravo Portsmouth!

First, you don't need probable cause to stop a vehicle. You only need reasonable suspicion.
Next, the check points must be setup ahead of time for a specific way of being operated. The way I have seen them done is you stop every fourth vehicle and check with the driver for any violations. You also write up the plan to say you can also stop any obvious violations observed during the check point. When you run the check point, you don't pull officers off the regular patrol areas so you have your usual coverage. That way there are officers looking in the rest of the city for violations and dui's as one poster stated. You don't shut down the rest of the city to do a check point.
As also stated, the courts have guidelines on check points to prevent them from being violations of the 4th amendment.
Stop complaining and obey the law and you won't have anything to worry about. As said before, you can't have insuran

Check with the mayor. Was this a white checkpoint or a black checkpoint?

It reeks of the old Soviet Union. Papers please!

Keep it up PPD! Any law enforcement officer knows checkpoints are legal and a great benefit to any community. You identify those drivers putting us all at risk operating a vehicle without a license or insurance, expired tags, inspections, or while intoxicated! Or God forbid, without children properly seat belted! My community in Portsmouth welcomes these checkpoints we know any criminals looking for a city to set up drug dealing or other criminal operations will be discouraged, these operations also catch wanted persons. PPD has been doing check points for several years, glad to see some press coverage, finally! The community supports our police officers hard at work to keep us all safe, protecting our homes, children, community and rights to sleep safe! These officers are responding to community concerns and doing exactly what we expect! Keep up the checkpoints and great community policing work PPD!

Wonder if that checkpoint was on the Mayor's way home from Roger Browns.

I can't help but notice a trend. People post against every law on the books. If we were to ask the police to only enforce the laws that *everyone* liked, none would be enforced ever! I think it is fine to give opinions, but the military officer in me says at some point we realize we elect the legislature, they make the laws, we live with the laws. I feel the same way as everyone if a good friend is stopped for speeding--I tend to mentally side with him or her. But that is called subjectivity and we all have it. The law is not meant to be subject to our whims but to keep us all equally safe. Cheers, MGM

Don't drive drunk, have outstanding warrants, or carry weapons and you should pass through a checkpoint with no problems.

I'm sorry, you were right. For such a short article, I should have caught what you were speaking about.

Ever dawn on you that the police bring in extra help when they do their job for both your protection and mine.

You have a tough job and you have my support 150%. Bravo Zulu to your success. Wish you would catch these bad mouthing sorry individuals whom don't deserve to breath the same air as us and are afraid to use their name. I won’t give mine but tell Joe W. he used to work for me and I am very proud of him and his achievements. Keep up the good work.

I police check point is perfectly legal as long as all vehicles passing through the check point are stopped. Also the 4th Amendment doesn't give the same protection to motor vehicles as it does to homes. That's a Supreme Court decision from 1925.

Try doing the stops in the morning when the illegals are headed to work. See what you get then???

Checkpoints are legal, constitutional, and used throughout the country.

Get over it.

jmo

The term police state is a term for a state in which the government exercises rigid and, in many peoples' opinions, repressive controls over the social, economic and political life of the population, especially by means of a police force which operates outside the boundaries normally imposed by a constitutional republic.

21 suspended licenses out of 337 vehicles stopped is 6%, or one out of every sixteen drivers. Those licenses were suspended for a reason (repeat speeding, DUI, etc.), so good work if we can get those bad drivers off the road and KEEP them off. It's scary that such a large number of people who have lost their licenses for chronic failure to obey traffic laws are still out there driving.

I want drunk drivers caught and taken off the road quickly as much as anyone else, but it still doesn't justify stopping people and checking licenses/ID's and maybe asking to search their vehicles for no reason other than they passed through. The police should be out patrolling and available to respond to calls. They caught 2 DUI's over a 5-hour period. How many more did they miss around town concentrating on that one street? Aren't our civil liberties more valuable than "[promoting] overall traffic safety and [preventing] unlicensed motorists and unregistered vehicles from traveling public roadways"? Why was "unlicensed and unregistered vehicles" specifically quoted instead of "dangerous drivers?" Hopefully the VP just quoted out of context the police statement, but the statement as published is certainly telling of a Big Brother mentality to me.

Wasting time? You're kidding right? Wasting time? Who would think that pulling unlicensed and drunken drivers off the road would be considered wasting time? Let me guess. Good luck. Maybe you'll be in the next group that gets taken off the road.

It clearly states 337 vehicles were stopped. Way to go P-Town PD. Keep it up. Other City's should be doing the same.

They could call it operation "check point chicky"

Who think that think ticketing drivers who are driving on a suspended licence is a big abuse of police power remember when you have no drivers license you have no car insurance. So if one of your loved ones gets killed by these idots you have no recourse. When that happens be sure to come back and talk this nonsense.

Just how is that check point "fleecing" anyone or shaking down drivers? And just how does it violate the 4th Ammendment? Unreasonable search??? Oh, I can here it now: "Yes, it's a conspiracy!" "The "Man" is out to get us!" "It's a violation of privacy!" "They're just out to make money!" Oh Brother! Would you prefer that the 2 charged with DUI still be out on the road? Would you prefer those un-licensed drivers get in an accident with you? Next you'll be complaining there's not a police officer when you need one!

The sentence just before "Twenty-one.." says "Police stopped 337 vehicles." 48 citations for 337 vehicles stopped. That's one out of every 7 vehicles approx. I agree that it's a violation of the 4th Amendment b/c people are being stopped without probable cause, which leads to unlawful searches and seizures, but checkpoints are obviously very successful at catching offenders.

The hall of shame goes to the following-The Portsmouth police, who waste time writing up tickets instead of getting the real criminals off the streets and the Va Pilot for even printing such a ridiculous story.

21/48 citatins were for driving on suspended. The article did not indicate how many cars were stopped during the checkpoint. You don't know what the percentage would be...