Texas drivers get asked for saliva, blood at police roadblock

[Vaquero]

I'll give 'em a stool sample.

 

[stdreb27]

At least they were offering to pay for the samples. 50 bucks for a blood sample? Sure.

 

[dustycorgill]

No way in hell would I have agreed to "participate". WTF are people thinking when they agree to this kind of sh*t?

 

[breakingcontact]

I turned around and drove away from a DUI checkpoint one time. I was doing nothing illegal and didnt need their inspection to keep driving. Glad they didnt shoot me. Before anyone tells me i broke the law...wasnt in TX and a good while ago.

 

[TX69]

No way in hell would I have agreed to "participate". WTF are people thinking when they agree to this kind of sh*t?

Sheep will give up anything for handouts. Been proven in history how freedom can be lost quickly.

 

[TXARGUY]

This story reminds me of something the drug enforcement task force was doing in Chambers County. I witnessed this myself, incidentally!

They posted a large sign on I-10.
"WARNING! FEDERAL DRUG ENFORCEMENT CHECKPOINT JUST AHEAD. BE PREPARED TO STOP FOR SEARCH!"

They posted the sign about 1/4 before an exit. Where was the drug enforcement traffic stop and search? It was positioned where cars rolled off onto the exit to avoid the drug check point!

Dumb, huh? The crooks fell for it, though!

I would have refused to comply with the saliva/blood request but that may have been a setup to snare impaired drivers. Consent to the sample and you skate. Refuse and you get a breath test.

Flash

I've seen that same thing done in Louisiana.

 

[TXARGUY]

I'll give 'em a stool sample.

Best Vaquero comment ever.

 

[F350-6]

I head some interviews on the radio today from folks who were forced to "voluntarily" participate. The impression they had was it was anything but voluntary. I'm still shocked this happened in our own backyard. This is the kind of story I would expect out of Kalifornia or somewhere.

I did send an email to Greg Abbot and ask his position on this and if he planned to allow it to keep happening on Texas soil or was he going to stand against it. Him being the AG and current front runner for the Governors mansion, I thought it a good idea to pester him about these types of issues and see how he responds. For any others interested in doing the same, his office email is greg.abbott@texasattorneygeneral.gov

He should hear from many of us on this.

 

[Anger]

democrapts. they hate, then they love this shit. more government, but they want more freedoms (smoke pot, kill fetus).

 

[Anger]

Best Vaquero comment ever.

agree !! i will try to add to that comment. "i'd give them a thought nugget"

 

[Das Jared]

Would you like for me to tell you to **** off, or would you like for my lawyer to do so. Your pick!

Sent from my SPH-L720 using Tapatalk 2

 

[Renegade]

Can't see how this could be Constitutional, but here is FWPD apology. Places I have worked being hired for O/D work like this outside of the departmental approval would be a firing offense.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration hired off-duty Fort Worth Police officers to assist with the Roadside Survey by providing traffic safety and security of cash used to pay survey participants. This survey was intended to be voluntary and was conducted by NHTSA personnel.

We are reviewing the approval process for this survey’s utilization of FWPD off-duty officers not only to ensure that our policies and procedures were followed, but also to ensure that any off-duty job is in the absolute best interest of our citizens.

We realize this survey caused many of our citizens frustration and we apologize for our participation.

“I agree with our citizens concerns and I apologize for our participation. Any future Federal survey of this nature, which jeopardizes the public’s trust, will not be approved for the use of Fort Worth police.”

Chief Jeffrey Halstead

 

[M. Sage]

This story reminds me of something the drug enforcement task force was doing in Chambers County. I witnessed this myself, incidentally!

They posted a large sign on I-10.
"WARNING! FEDERAL DRUG ENFORCEMENT CHECKPOINT JUST AHEAD. BE PREPARED TO STOP FOR SEARCH!"

They posted the sign about 1/4 before an exit. Where was the drug enforcement traffic stop and search? It was positioned where cars rolled off onto the exit to avoid the drug check point!

Dumb, huh? The crooks fell for it, though!

I would have refused to comply with the saliva/blood request but that may have been a setup to snare impaired drivers. Consent to the sample and you skate. Refuse and you get a breath test.

Flash

Refusing a search is not grounds for a search. Forcing someone to take a breathalizer because they A: are driving and B: declined the test would be illegal.

Not that this fact will necessarily stop them...

 

[roadkill]

Refusing a search is not grounds for a search. Forcing someone to take a breathalizer because they A: are driving and B: declined the test would be illegal.

Not that this fact will necessarily stop them...

I wish that we're true. What about the no refusal weekends? It's really a misconception since everyday is a no refusal day. They just hype it during the holidays and spring break.


Sent from my Obama phone.

 

[TX69]

Refusing a search is not grounds for a search. Forcing someone to take a breathalizer because they A: are driving and B: declined the test would be illegal.

Not that this fact will necessarily stop them...

Make sure your video camera is recording ........

 

[breakingcontact]

I have that qik app on my phone and didnt know it. It automatically uploads to a website.

 

[txinvestigator]

I wish that we're true. What about the no refusal weekends? It's really a misconception since everyday is a no refusal day. They just hype it during the holidays and spring break.


Sent from my Obama phone.

Sage is correct. On the no refusal weekends the LEO needs PC to get a warrant.

 

[Sapper740]

I'll give 'em a stool sample.

+1

 

[UncleSamsMisguidedChild]

Sage is correct. On the no refusal weekends the LEO needs PC to get a warrant.

Wait,

So a LEO has to get a warrant if you refuse to blow? I'd guess that's not hard with PC and can probably be done on the spot, but I always thought there was no need for the warrant.

 

[UncleSamsMisguidedChild]

We had an incident about 2 weeks ago here by the house where a drunk driver hit a car parked in the street. He moved his truck up the street and parked in front of his house and got out. I went outside as did many other neighbors and went up to him. He was obviously drunk out of his mind, to the point of trying to hug me (I've never met the guy before this), and yelling "I did it" down the street. He admitted being drunk blah blah blah. He eventually pulled the truck into the driveway and went inside just as the SO showed up. He refused to answer the door for about 2 hours as they cleared the scene.

Why couldn't they have gotten a warrant to get this guy out of his house? The LEOs could see him looking out the windows when they were knocking but he just ignored them. I'm guessing it's because his offense would have been a misdemeanor, but it seems that they should have been able to get a warrant to get a drunk driver / hit and run driver in custody.