Drug detection/DNA swab roll-out L.A. sobriety checkpoints.

[phill4paul]

Hurray, we've passed medical marijuana laws that bring relief to thousands of afflicted individuals. In the process we have opened the door to more invasive searches of millions.


http://rt.com/usa/portable-drug-test-lapd-902/


The Los Angeles Police Department has announced plans to ramp up use of a portable tool that checks for drug use, beginning with a New Year’s Eve crackdown on intoxicated drivers. Officials cited increased medical marijuana use as a main justification.

A state grant supplied the LAPD with a swab testing tool that will be employed at DUI (driving under the influence) checkpoints and jails, Los Angeles officials said at a Friday press conference.

The conference was held to highlight use of the tool alongside breathalyzers - which check for blood-alcohol content - at sobriety checkpoints during the New Year’s holiday.

LAPD officers can ask a driver to consent to a voluntary portable oral fluids test of their gum line and cheeks. The tip of the tool is then put into a portable machine for immediate testing rather than requiring a blood test. Such blood tests have previously been necessary to verify an arrest made on the suspicion of drugged driving.

Los Angeles City Attorney Mike Feuer pointed to the increased use of medical marijuana and the prevalence of dispensaries in the city as reason to step up enforcement of DUI policing.

“There’s a growing recognition that driving under the influence of drugs is something we need to be clamping down on more effectively,” Feuer said at the press conference.

The swabbing test is not completely untested, though it was only used 50 times in Los Angeles ahead of Friday’s announcement. City prosecutors said they have not used results from the test as evidence in any case thus far.

The portable oral fluids test screens for amphetamines, cocaine, benzodiazepine (Xanax), methadone, methamphetamine, narcotic analgesics, and THC – which indicates that marijuana has been used the past several hours.

“Traditionally, our office has focused on drunken driving cases,” Feuer said. “We’re expanding drug collection and aggressively enforcing all impaired-driving laws.”

The city attorney’s office filed 598 DUI cases in the past year that involved drugs. In comparison, the city filed 577 drunken driving cases during the 2012 winter holiday alone.

Thus far in the 2013 holiday season, over 1,500 people have been arrested in Los Angeles County on suspicion of DUI, according to the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department.

It is yet unknown what other capabilities the testing method has, or how the LAPD will use biometric data gleaned from the swabbing results.

In June, the US Supreme Court ruled to affirm law enforcement’s right to legally take DNA samples from those who are arrested – even if they have not been convicted for a crime or gone to trial.

Los Angeles County has held the distinction of possessing one of the largest DNA-sample backlogs in the US, including an especially high number of unprocessed rape kits.

[aGameOfThrones]

I want to do DUIP(DWPH) checkpoints near every public buildings(Courts, police stations, offices)

[kathy88]

Can you smell the Freedom? It's almost palpable...

[phill4paul]

Can you smell the Freedom? It's almost palpable...

The bells of freedom are ringing so loud that I had to turn up the volume on Fox news to drown them out.

[tod evans]

Overreaching authoritarians are going to continue until they are stopped by force.

[Anti Federalist]

Can you smell the Freedom? It's almost palpable...


The bells of freedom are ringing so loud that I had to turn up the volume on Fox news to drown them out.

Huh, what's all that racket over there??!

Can't hear a damn thing you're saying over all this fucking freedom.

[JK/SEA]

hmmm...anything out there one could swish around your mouth before a checkpoint that might foil the test?

biz opp. here....

[Anti Federalist]

See, what they need in Kalifornia is a "No Refusal Law" like they have some southern states now.

Because nothing says Freedom like having ten cops wrestle your ass onto a stretcher and stab needles in your veins.


No Refusal' checkpoints scheduled during New Year's

Posted: Dec 28, 2012 8:42 AM EST Updated: Dec 28, 2012 04:15 PM

http://www.wkrn.com/story/20439381/police-step-up-dui-enforcement-during-new-years

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -

If you think you might get away with drinking and driving this holiday weekend, consider this: law enforcement officials no longer need your consent to get a sample of your blood.

It's called the "No Refusal" law, and it went into effect in July.

The law lets law enforcement officials, such as Sgt. Matt Perry, get a search warrant for your blood.

"Once we obtain that search warrant then we can take your blood from you, take you to the hospital and get your blood drawn, regardless of whether you want to or not," said Perry.

After nine years with the THP, Perry said he has seen his fair share of impaired drivers.

"Whether they have watery eyes, blood shot eyes, [or] slurred speech," Perry said he knows what to look for.

It can be tough work, late at night, but it's work Perry told Nashville's News 2 he takes very seriously, adding, "You see these signs now showing the fatal numbers that we've had this year and hitting 1,000. It's just, everybody's got to do their part to stop that."

According to THP, alcohol related crashes are on the rise in Tennessee. So far in 2012, there have been more than 7,500 across the state so far this year, which is 182 more than 2011.

Authorities said they believe the new law will help them in their fight against impaired driving.

"In the past, if we stopped somebody that we believed was impaired, we would offer them a chance to submit to a blood test or a breath test and they had the option or opportunity to refuse," explained Perry.

THP organized its first "No Refusal" event over the Fourth of July holiday weekend just days after the new law took effect.

During that operation 48 people were arrested for suspicion of DUI. Officers obtained eight search warrants for blood tests during that first operation that took place in five counties.

Over the Labor Day weekend there were 74 people arrested for suspicion of DUI and one person who refused to voluntarily provide a blood sample.

The most recent operation during the Thanksgiving holiday netted 78 arrests and five people who refused to voluntarily provide a blood sample.

Already if someone has a previous DUI conviction or if children are present during a DUI stop an officer can obtain a blood sample from the driver without their consent and without a judge's approval.

That is the same for people who have previous DUI convictions.

The Wilson County District Attorney's General office told Nashville's News 2, having this blood evidence makes it easier to convict impaired drivers.

"It's definitely more tangible, it's more clear cut," added Perry, "You can see the legal limit is point oh eight, and it shows they're above it or below it. It makes it very easy."

If the "No Refusal" part of DUI checkpoints keeps just one impaired driver off the streets, Perry said that's a start.

(I think Officer Perry and his pals ought have the right to randomly search your homes for possible impairment. More people die from slips trips and falls around the house than from drunk driving. If it saves one person, right....right??? - AF)

"It's there every night, and we want people to know that," Perry added. "Hopefully, that alone will deter them from driving while impaired."

Friday night's check point in Wilson County at the intersection of Central Pike and South Mt. Juliet Road is from 11:30 p.m. until 1 a.m. Saturday morning.

[Anti Federalist]

Overreaching authoritarians are going to continue until they are stopped by force.

And we all know what the chances of that happening are...

Happy new year, brother...

[phill4paul]

See, what they need in Kalifornia is a "No Refusal Law" like they have some southern states now.

Because nothing says Freedom like having ten cops wrestle your ass onto a stretcher and stab needles in your veins.

You could not be more correct. I'm not a very good driver in the first place. It's tough to stay concentrated while I am texting a friend about where we are going to have lunch. If I actually talk on the phone or if I am in a conversation with a passenger my speed will fluctuate up to 10-15 MPH one way or the other. Then there are the times I have to turn around and tell the kids to quit fighting, I tend to decelerate when that happens. Or when I try to shuffle through my i-pod to find that right music mix that I can play over my awesome sound system. Then there are the times when I don't get enough sleep the night before and can't really concentrate. I'm not really that good of a driver in the first place. I didn't get my license until I was 19.
To think that there are intoxicated or druggie drivers that might not be able to react in time if I'm not paying attention scares the shit out of me.

[Dr.3D]

I'll bet they will use those swabs to collect DNA samples without anybody even knowing that is being done.

[Anti Federalist]

I'll bet they will use those swabs to collect DNA samples without anybody even knowing that is being done.

Count on it.

Rape kits and DNA tests that could actually set somebody free...well, not so much.

But you can bet your ass all those Mundanes are having their DNA put into some super secret government database.

Freedom.

AmeriKa.

[Keith and stuff]

CA, TX, TN... it's nice to know what this isn't just an isolated incident. Equality for all, that's the plan. It's just that the equality is something that none of us want.

[DFF]

"Once we obtain that search warrant then we can take your blood from you, take you to the hospital and get your blood drawn, regardless of whether you want to or not," said Perry.

Rick Perry's a tyrannical steaming corrupt pile of neocon shit for allowing blood draws in Texas.

This is the same *** (with no offense intended towards gays) who shot down installing air-conditioning in Texas prisons where temperatures routinely reach 120 degrees during the summer and many prisoners have DIED from heat strokes.

And before anyone chimes in saying "Prisoners got what they deserved" a LOT of inmates are incarcerated for simple drug possession and DWI.

It's flat out evil and utterly wrong to torture them worse than an animal at a veterinarians clinic (which have air-conditioning).

[Anti Federalist]

CA, TX, TN... it's nice to know what this isn't just an isolated incident. Equality for all, that's the plan. It's just that the equality is something that none of us want.

That is where you are wrong.

Outside of our tiny little band of refuseniks, the people out there are begging for this, they want to be abused and bossed around and have their homes raided by heavily armed SWAT raiders.

They cheer, by the thousands, when it happens.

[Anti Federalist]

Rick Perry's a tyrannical steaming corrupt shit for allowing blood draws in Texas.

This is the same *** (with no offense intended towards gays) who shot down installing air-conditioning in Texas prisons where temperatures routinely reach 120 degrees during the summer and many prisoners have DIED from heat strokes.

And before anyone chimes in saying "Prisoners got what they deserved" a LOT of inmates are incarcerated for simple drug possession and DWI.

It's flat out evil to torture them worse than an animal at a veterinarians clinic (which have air-conditioning).

A lot of them - I'd say roughly 20 - 30 percent, are flat out innocent, railroaded into prison by corrupt cops, prosecutors and judges

[DFF]

A lot of them - I'd say roughly 20 - 30 percent, are flat out innocent, railroaded into prison by corrupt cops, prosecutors and judges

Yes, this is a big problem as well...our prison system is beyond outrageous, and is, IMO, the most disgusting aspect of the United States today....which is, in effect, a commie-gulag state.

[DFF]

Because nothing says Freedom like having ten cops wrestle your ass onto a stretcher and stab needles in your veins

I've seen this with my own two eyes in Montgomery County, TX...four cops were holding down a woman in a chair, who was screaming and crying and telling them no, and a fat pig district attorney was standing there with a camera telling her how it was in her "best interest" to cooperate...and then, when she refused, they went ahead and stuck the syringe in her anyway...from a libertarian's point of view (read: a real Americans) this was so vile, and so disgusting, it made me want to puke.

[Keith and stuff]

I've seen this with my own two eyes in Montgomery County, TX...four cops were holding down a woman in a chair, who was screaming and crying and telling them no, and a fat pig district attorney was standing there with a camera telling her how it was in her "best interest" to cooperate...and then, when she refused, they went ahead and stuck the syringe in her anyone...from a libertarian's point of view (read: a real Americans) this was so vile, and so disgusting, it made me want to puke.

Don't puke near an officer. That's attempted assault with biological weapon on an officer. It might even be a felony!

[Anti Federalist]

I've seen this with my own two eyes in Montgomery County, TX...four cops were holding down a woman in a chair, who was screaming and crying and telling them no, and a fat pig district attorney was standing there with a camera telling her how it was in her "best interest" to cooperate...and then, when she refused, they went ahead and stuck the syringe in her anyone...from a libertarian's point of view (read: a real Americans) this was so vile, and so disgusting, it made me want to puke.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7vCww3j2-w