Worth the effort

By Staff
Dec. 29, 2002
Intensified local enforcement of Mississippi's DUI laws  including sobriety checkpoints during the Christmas and New Year's holidays already has resulted in a number of arrests, but it is well worth the effort even if just one impaired driver is taken off the streets.
Statewide, the Mississippi Highway Patrol reported 32 arrests during a peak 30-hour driving period that began at 6 p.m. Tuesday and ended at midnight Wednesday. Last year, state troopers made 145 arrests. Locally, Lauderdale County sheriff's deputies made four arrests and booked five more people into the county jail from the Meridian Police Department under DUI laws.
Disturbingly, three of the four people arrested by sheriff's deputies were charged with DUI, second offense. Obviously, the message isn't getting through to some drivers that DUI is a serious threat to public safety. Perhaps the courts will mandate more serious penalties as these defendants face judges the second time around.
It is impossible to police every mile of every county road, city street and highway in Mississippi every minute. Many impaired drivers are likely to slip through the cracks because officers can't physically be everywhere at the same time. But sobriety checkpoints have been and will continue to be used as a good enforcement tool. For example, Lauderdale County deputies will be out again next week with sobriety checkpoints.
We applaud the efforts of local law officers in the Mississippi Highway Patrol, Lauderdale County Sheriff's Department, Meridian Police Department and Marion Police Department to apprehend people driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. The officers are performing a valuable public service.
To the driving public we would say again, for your own sake and for the sake of your families, friends and others who may be on the road or awaiting your safe arrival at home  please, don't drink and drive.