noneedtoaggress
06-10-2013, 06:33 PM
http://blog.al.com/east-alabama/2013/06/why_were_roadblocks_in_st_clai.html#incart_river_d efault
PELL CITY, Alabama -- St. Clair and Bibb county authorities are confirming there were roadblocks at several locations in their counties Friday and Saturday asking for blood and DNA samples. However, the samples were voluntary and motorists were paid for them as part of a study, they said.
According to Lt. Freddie Turrentine of the St. Clair County Sheriff's Department, it isn't the first time such roadblocks have occurred in the area.
"They were here in 2007," said Turrentine, the supervisor in charge of the roadblocks, which took place in several locations in St. Clair County Friday night, early Saturday morning and Saturday night and early Sunday morning. "It's just with social media and Facebook now, word of it has just exploded."
Turrentine said the roadblocks were part of a study conducted by the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation, working with the National Highway Safety Administration. St. Clair County was asked to participate by the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs because it had worked with the group six years ago.
Sheriff Keith Hannah in Bibb County said they too had previously participated in the study.
Here's how the road blocks worked, Turrentine said:
Off-duty St. Clair County deputies stopped cars at random at road block areas. The road blocks were marked with signs stating it was a paid survey. Cars stopped were asked for voluntary cooperation. Drivers were offered $10 for a mouth swab, and $50 for a blood test. If they refused, they were free to drive away.
[ POLL: Would you voluntarily submit DNA, blood sample for government study at roadblock? ]
Road blocks took place Friday at the New London Fire Department, Alabama 34 in Pell City near the old Dan's Car Wash, U.S. 231 at Alabama 144, at White's Chapel Parkway and Moody Crossroads in Moody. In Bibb County, the road blocks took place in five areas in the county on Friday night through early Sunday morning.
If drivers participated, they were directed to an area where someone from the group carrying out the study took the samples, he said.
"It was completely voluntary," Turrentine said, saying reports that people were detained if they did not cooperate were untrue. "If they didn't want to take part, they could drive off."
The samples were anonymous, he said.
Poll: Would you voluntarily submit DNA, blood sample for government study at roadblock?
"They were taking the samples in other parts of the country," he said. "They want to find out of all the people surveyed, how many people were driving with alcohol in their system, or prescription drugs, things like that."
This will be the only time this year the survey takes place in St. Clair County, he said.
Turrentine, who was at one of the roadblocks, said the group carrying out the study would ask for a certain number of volunteers. Deputies would stop drivers until that number of drivers needed agreed to the survey. Then they let cars pass while the samples were taken.
"We would have a lot who didn't want to take part, especially at night," he said. "But then we'd have a few that when we'd tell they could make $60 bucks, they said, 'What do I need to do?'"
http://blog.al.com/east-alabama/2013/06/feds_state_officials_comment_o.html
PELL CITY, Alabama -- State and federal officials are commenting about the nature of road blocks that took place this weekend in St. Clair and Bibb counties collecting blood samples and mouth swabs.
Jose Ucles, a spokesman for the National Traffic Highway Safety Administration, said the survey did not collect DNA, but those taking the information asked for a breath sample, an oral fluid sample and a blood sample. In Alabama, those giving samples were paid $50 for blood samples and $10 for mouth swabs.
[ POLL: Would you voluntarily submit DNA, blood sample for government study at roadblock? ]
According to Ucles, the Office of Drug Control Policy is contributing funding and support for the study, which is going on in 60 sites around the nation. The Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation is conducting the tests through this fall. St. Clair and Bibb county officials said this would be the only time the road blocks are conducted this year.
"Participation is voluntary," Ucles said. "All data is anonymous."
St. Clair County authorities said they were attached to the survey through the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs. Jim Plott with the department said ADECA only provided contacts to the NHTSA, but "had no involvement in the study and no ADECA funding was used."
The samples, Ucles said, were used to measure whether drivers had the presence of over-the-counter, prescription and illegal drugs in their systems, or alcohol and the driver's individual blood alcohol concentration.
Ucles said there were four previous national roadside surveys conducted in 1973, 1986, 1996 and 2007, but this is only the second time a survey has obtained data on drug use by drivers.
The survey used deputies to stop traffic, he said, for traffic safety.
"If you're doing roadblocks and asking people to stop, you have to have the deputies there to make sure everything is safe," he said. "It's not about detaining anybody, because the survey is voluntary and anonymous. It's about making sure the traffic is safe in that area."
If you were stopped in one of the roadblocks, or took part, and would like to talk, email eastalabama@al.com.
http://gl1800riders.com/forums/showthread.php?350155-Roadblocks-in-Alabama-DNA-Collection
PELL CITY, Alabama -- St. Clair and Bibb county authorities are confirming there were roadblocks at several locations in their counties Friday and Saturday asking for blood and DNA samples. However, the samples were voluntary and motorists were paid for them as part of a study, they said.
According to Lt. Freddie Turrentine of the St. Clair County Sheriff's Department, it isn't the first time such roadblocks have occurred in the area.
"They were here in 2007," said Turrentine, the supervisor in charge of the roadblocks, which took place in several locations in St. Clair County Friday night, early Saturday morning and Saturday night and early Sunday morning. "It's just with social media and Facebook now, word of it has just exploded."
Turrentine said the roadblocks were part of a study conducted by the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation, working with the National Highway Safety Administration. St. Clair County was asked to participate by the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs because it had worked with the group six years ago.
Sheriff Keith Hannah in Bibb County said they too had previously participated in the study.
Here's how the road blocks worked, Turrentine said:
Off-duty St. Clair County deputies stopped cars at random at road block areas. The road blocks were marked with signs stating it was a paid survey. Cars stopped were asked for voluntary cooperation. Drivers were offered $10 for a mouth swab, and $50 for a blood test. If they refused, they were free to drive away.
[ POLL: Would you voluntarily submit DNA, blood sample for government study at roadblock? ]
Road blocks took place Friday at the New London Fire Department, Alabama 34 in Pell City near the old Dan's Car Wash, U.S. 231 at Alabama 144, at White's Chapel Parkway and Moody Crossroads in Moody. In Bibb County, the road blocks took place in five areas in the county on Friday night through early Sunday morning.
If drivers participated, they were directed to an area where someone from the group carrying out the study took the samples, he said.
"It was completely voluntary," Turrentine said, saying reports that people were detained if they did not cooperate were untrue. "If they didn't want to take part, they could drive off."
The samples were anonymous, he said.
Poll: Would you voluntarily submit DNA, blood sample for government study at roadblock?
"They were taking the samples in other parts of the country," he said. "They want to find out of all the people surveyed, how many people were driving with alcohol in their system, or prescription drugs, things like that."
This will be the only time this year the survey takes place in St. Clair County, he said.
Turrentine, who was at one of the roadblocks, said the group carrying out the study would ask for a certain number of volunteers. Deputies would stop drivers until that number of drivers needed agreed to the survey. Then they let cars pass while the samples were taken.
"We would have a lot who didn't want to take part, especially at night," he said. "But then we'd have a few that when we'd tell they could make $60 bucks, they said, 'What do I need to do?'"
http://blog.al.com/east-alabama/2013/06/feds_state_officials_comment_o.html
PELL CITY, Alabama -- State and federal officials are commenting about the nature of road blocks that took place this weekend in St. Clair and Bibb counties collecting blood samples and mouth swabs.
Jose Ucles, a spokesman for the National Traffic Highway Safety Administration, said the survey did not collect DNA, but those taking the information asked for a breath sample, an oral fluid sample and a blood sample. In Alabama, those giving samples were paid $50 for blood samples and $10 for mouth swabs.
[ POLL: Would you voluntarily submit DNA, blood sample for government study at roadblock? ]
According to Ucles, the Office of Drug Control Policy is contributing funding and support for the study, which is going on in 60 sites around the nation. The Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation is conducting the tests through this fall. St. Clair and Bibb county officials said this would be the only time the road blocks are conducted this year.
"Participation is voluntary," Ucles said. "All data is anonymous."
St. Clair County authorities said they were attached to the survey through the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs. Jim Plott with the department said ADECA only provided contacts to the NHTSA, but "had no involvement in the study and no ADECA funding was used."
The samples, Ucles said, were used to measure whether drivers had the presence of over-the-counter, prescription and illegal drugs in their systems, or alcohol and the driver's individual blood alcohol concentration.
Ucles said there were four previous national roadside surveys conducted in 1973, 1986, 1996 and 2007, but this is only the second time a survey has obtained data on drug use by drivers.
The survey used deputies to stop traffic, he said, for traffic safety.
"If you're doing roadblocks and asking people to stop, you have to have the deputies there to make sure everything is safe," he said. "It's not about detaining anybody, because the survey is voluntary and anonymous. It's about making sure the traffic is safe in that area."
If you were stopped in one of the roadblocks, or took part, and would like to talk, email eastalabama@al.com.
http://gl1800riders.com/forums/showthread.php?350155-Roadblocks-in-Alabama-DNA-Collection