[Aprilian]

In case you thought that it was purely enforcement for the public good. This just struck me as odd.
http://www.dps.state...asp?PR_Num=1042


"DWI ENFORCER ALL-STARS" TO BE HONORED AT TARGET FIELD WITH 4TH OF JULY DWI ENFORCEMENT ON DECK
Alcohol a Factor in 14 of 18 Independence Day Period Road Deaths Since 2007


ST. PAUL — The Minnesota Department of Public Safety (DPS) will announce the state’s top DWI enforcers during pre-game festivities at the Minnesota Twins game at Target Field, July 1. The 2010 DWI Enforcer All-Stars include 30 law enforcement officers and three prosecutors from the Twin Cities' metro area and Greater Minnesota, selected for outstanding service in enforcement and in prosecution of impaired driving.

Minnesota State Patrol Trooper Jack Tiegs is the state’s Most Valuable Enforcer, leading all law enforcement with 133 DWI arrests in 2009. (Scroll down for complete DWI Enforcer All-Star rosters).

This is the third year DPS has recognized the state’s top DWI enforcers and the first year as Car-X Auto Service as a sponsor of the event.

“It’s important to recognize Minnesota’s top law enforcement officers for their tremendous work and dedication to take impaired drivers off our roads and prevent deaths and injuries,” says Cheri Marti, DPS director of the Office of Traffic Safety.

The All-Star announcement accompanies enhanced DWI enforcement during the historically deadly 4th of July weekend. During 2007–2009 surrounding the holiday period, there were 18 traffic deaths of which 14 were alcohol-related — and only two of the 11 motorists killed were belted.

The holiday DWI crackdown will run in the state’s 13 deadliest counties for impaired driving — Anoka, Dakota, Hennepin, Olmsted, Otter Tail, Ramsey, Rice, St. Louis, Scott, Sherburne, Stearns, Washington and Wright.

Increased DWI enforcement activity will continue throughout the summer. During July, August and September in 2007–2009, alcohol-related crashes accounted for 151 deaths, representing 30 percent of all alcohol-related deaths for the three-year period.

Each year in Minnesota, alcohol-related crashes account for more than one-third of the state’s total traffic deaths. Last year, 141 people were killed in alcohol-related crashes, an all-time low. In 2009, 32,576 motorists were arrested for DWI. DPS also reports that each year 75 percent of impaired drivers killed in crashes are also not buckled up.

Marti says while law enforcement is a key factor in stopping impaired driving, she underscores the need for all Minnesotans to play a role in keeping roads safe.

“The All-Stars and their law enforcement colleagues can’t stop impaired driving alone,” she says. “Everyone must take action to prevent friends from driving impaired and use safe alternatives rather than getting behind the wheel after drinking.”



Twin Cities DWI Enforcer All-Stars — and number of 2009 DWI arrests (Pronunciations in parenthesis):


§ Danny Bouavichith (Bo-Vee-Chith), Savage Police Department — 53

§ Officer Bill Hammes (Hahmmas), Coon Rapids Police Department — 63

§ Officer Joshua Hunter, Corcoran Police Department — 60

§ Officer John Kolar, Shakopee Police Department — 87

§ Officer Scott Langner, Maplewood Police Department — 72

§ Officer Gabe Lee, Blaine Police Department —73

§ Trooper Eric Micek (My-sik), State Patrol — 106

§ Trooper Pat Miles, State Patrol — 110

§ Trooper Brian Reu (Roo), State Patrol — 104

§ Officer Santiago Rodriguez, St. Paul Police Department — 78

§ Officer Richard Schwab, South St. Paul Police Department — 102

§ Officer Dan Schyma (Sheema), Apple Valley Police Department — 57

§ Officer Nic Stevens, Lakeville Police Department — 89

§ Trooper Jack Tiegs (Teegs), State Patrol — 133

§ Trooper Ben Uzlik (Youz-lik), State Patrol — 121



Greater Minnesota DWI Enforcer All-Stars — and number of 2009 DWI Arrests (Pronunciations in parenthesis):


§ Trooper Scott Barstad, State Patrol — 82

§ Officer Anthony Bermel, Pike Bay Police Department — 23

§ Trooper Garret Bondhus (Bond-us), State Patrol — 118

§ Deputy Tom Coulter (Coal-ter), Blue Earth County Sheriff’s Office — 54

§ Trooper Jason Engeldinger (En-gell-dinger), State Patrol — 51

§ Officer Steve Estey (Es-tee), Virginia Police Department — 39

§ Deputy Lyan (Lion) Karger, Beltrami County Sheriff’s Office — 80

§ Officer Adam Kladivo (Klad-uh-voe), Hibbing Police Department — 46

§ Officer Scott Kostohryz (Kah-stor-iss), Moorhead Police Department — 42

§ Officer Brian Martin, Blue Earth County Sheriff’s Office — 61

§ Trooper Lucas McArthur, State Patrol — 96

§ Deputy Dan Mott, Mille Lacs County Sheriff’s Office – 53

§ Officer Ryan Sayre (Say-er), Hutchinson Police Department — 44

§ Officer Jean Valere (Vah-lair), Rochester Police Department — 48

§ Officer Darin Vossen, Worthington Police Department — 51



DWI All-Star Prosecutors:

§ Pam Converse, Scott Joint Prosecution Association

§ Sean McCarthy, Hastings City Attorney

§ Ilissa (ill-issa) Ramm (Ram), Crow Wing County Attorney’s Office

[voss555]

Especially the prosecutors. Does not compute.

[long arm]

It's not really an award just for getting the most in the sense you guys seem to think it is. It is a way for DPS and MADD to show their appreciation for a job well done and a lot of hard work.

No matter how many drunks these cops and all the rest of us arrest there are still tons getting through the net. One might argue that the ones who got home safely were not impaired and therefore should not have been arrested anyway but there are also those who say that those who slipped by merely got lucky.

It's not like these cops are getting a bonus or a toaster for getting these arrests, they are simply being recognized and thanked for doing their jobs well throughout the year and for actually protecting the public in a visible and somewhat tangible way.

I got a rookie of the year award from MADD in 2005 and my number was only somewhere in the 40's.

I believe the prosecutors are judged on their conviction rate but I'm not sure.

[Aprilian]

Long Arm,

I just reread my comment and perhaps I was not very clear. I just thought it was odd, I didn't think it was wrong. Congrats on Rookie of the Year (better late than never ).

[long arm]

No, I hear ya. Thanks. I think that DPS is doing itself a disservice by exposing themselves so publicly like this. I think there are a lot of people who will have a problem with this type of thing and misunderstand a lot of the intent of the program.

[Aprilian]

Do you think we'll see them pelted with empty beer cups?

[henks]

I didn't watch the game last night, but I can imagine there were a smattering of boos.

[scotty]

Aprilian, on 02 July 2010 - 04:21 PM, said:

Do you think we'll see them pelted with empty beer cups?

Im big enough, I would throw kegs at them.

If people are blowing high BACs sure- but if these guys have hard ons for someone at .0800001 - Fuk them! Good cops have a brain and can decipher between a "good guy" JUST crossing the line and a guy who does it all the time and is CLEARLY over. Seen too many cops with small dicks and insecure to respect them - Sorry Long Arm. Your peers dont do you any favors.... Fun to go there at the Twins game and start the "Boo" chant... (of course REAL drunk driver do neeed off the road - of course - we need to make sure we preserve human life and make everyone safe)

Also, every cop I find "annoying" - I remember their name just so I can make sure that if I am ever in a position to use legal discretion to make their life difficult - I will (only ran into 2 so far in my life that fit that bill....). Most likely a case of a few bad apples...

[ZZR Joel]

scotty, on 02 July 2010 - 05:17 PM, said:

Im big enough, I would throw kegs at them.

If people are blowing high BACs sure- but if these guys have hard ons for someone at .0800001 - Fuk them! Good cops have a brain and can decipher between a "good guy" JUST crossing the line and a guy who does it all the time and is CLEARLY over. Seen too many cops with small dicks and insecure to respect them - Sorry Long Arm. Your peers dont do you any favors.... Fun to go there at the Twins game and start the "Boo" chant... (of course REAL drunk driver do neeed off the road - of course - we need to make sure we preserve human life and make everyone safe)

Also, every cop I find "annoying" - I remember their name just so I can make sure that if I am ever in a position to use legal discretion to make their life difficult - I will (only ran into 2 so far in my life that fit that bill....). Most likely a case of a few bad apples...

Dude scotty, your a dumb ass. Drunk is drunk. And if you get DWI then your a dumb ass. This isnt a argument on if you should or should not wear your helmet. This is honest to god, life and death. if your .080001 your over the limit. your a retartd

[lil' Cheese]

ZZR Joel, on 02 July 2010 - 05:53 PM, said:

Dude scotty, your a dumb ass. Drunk is drunk. And if you get DWI then your a dumb ass. This isnt a argument on if you should or should not wear your helmet. This is honest to god, life and death. if your .080001 your over the limit. your a retartd

+1

[00R6]

ZZR Joel, on 02 July 2010 - 05:53 PM, said:

Dude scotty, your a dumb ass. Drunk is drunk. And if you get DWI then your a dumb ass. This isnt a argument on if you should or should not wear your helmet. This is honest to god, life and death. if your .080001 your over the limit. your a retartd

So 10 years ago you weren't drunk at .08 but now you are because the state was bribed into changing an already arbitrary number? You really have a dopey black and white view of the law, you seem to think that just because something is law, it is automatically right. Do you ever question whether a law could be wrong?

[long arm]

You know, the thing about .08. I think it's BS that the feds coerced the MN legislature to changing the limit. I do however think that, mostly with occassional or lightweight drinkers the .08 has given us an easier avenue to get them off the road as they are often the drinkers are more effected at lower levels.

On the other side of the coin though we already had a mechanism for taking these special case drivers down in the gray area the legislature gave us between the relative evidence level (.04, also the limit for commercial drivers) and the per se level (.10 at the time). In my experience so far it doesn't make much difference though as the average level of the drunks I have arrested since the change has still probably been somewhere close to .13.

[ZZR Joel]

00R6, on 02 July 2010 - 09:56 PM, said:

So 10 years ago you weren't drunk at .08 but now you are because the state was bribed into changing an already arbitrary number? You really have a dopey black and white view of the law, you seem to think that just because something is law, it is automatically right. Do you ever question whether a law could be wrong?

Every day I do and I don’t like a lot of them. I’m not arguing the fact that .08 or .10. I don’t care because I don’t drink and drive, I just wont put myself in the situation. But to hassle a cop because they are/will arresting someone who is over the legal limit or fails a FST. They are not only putting themselves at risk. They are putting everyone else at risk. 37,000+ vehicle crash fatalities in '08, 37% of them were caused by alcohol. It's like shooting into a crowd, very good chance someone inocent will die, why argue that?

[00R6]

ZZR Joel, on 02 July 2010 - 10:57 PM, said:

Im not arguing the fact that .08 or .10.

But you didn't say that .08 is over the legal limit, you said it means you're drunk. And that it's a life or death matter no matter how much over the limit. Scotty was talking about DWIs with low BACs and you called him a dumbass for it so I don't see how you can say you don't care about .08 or .10, that's what he was talking about.

And if .08 really is dangerous, where are the numbers? I'd be very interested to know what percentage of drunk driving-related deaths were caused by drivers with a BAC between .08 and .10.

[ZZR Joel]

00R6, on 02 July 2010 - 11:09 PM, said:

But you didn't say that .08 is over the legal limit, you said it means you're drunk. And that it's a life or death matter no matter how much over the limit. Scotty was talking about DWIs with low BACs and you called him a dumbass for it so I don't see how you can say you don't care about .08 or .10, that's what he was talking about.

And if .08 really is dangerous, where are the numbers? I'd be very interested to know what percentage of drunk driving-related deaths were caused by drivers with a BAC between .08 and .10.

your right I should have reworded that differently, if you drunk your drunk is what I was trying to say. But your the kind of guy you would still be arguing it, if it was at .10 or 1.0, fuck em right?
\But then again the law is the law, and until it is changed should it not be followed?