More cops, more stops, through remainder of July in Tennessee
Though a bit premature, the feeling that summer is winding down is creeping in. Sure, we aren’t even into August yet, but back-to-school ads are already running, and Tennessee law enforcement is acting as though there are only days left to enforce summer strategies against drunk driving and other driving no-nos.
If you haven’t yet heard of the state’s “More Cops. More Stops.” campaign, then it is about time that you did. Tennessee police and safety officials continue to work together to set up more opportunities to ticket and arrest drivers who are supposedly caught breaking the laws on the roads. They will increase their presence on the roads from July 25 to July 28.
Drivers can take the title of the supposed traffic safety campaign quite literally. More police officers will be on roads throughout Chattanooga and beyond, their eyes peeled for drivers who are speeding, engaging in distracted driving or who might be driving under the influence. The Governor’s Highway Safety Office Law Enforcement Administrator warns, “Drivers need to know the risk is simply not worth it. You will be stopped, ticketed or arrested if we catch you driving while drunk or distracted, not wearing a seatbelt or speeding.”
That warning, however, should include that drivers could also be wrongfully targeted, charged and arrested as a result of the “More Cops. More Stops.” campaign. The premise of the police effort assumes that there are enough people breaking the law in order to warrant “more stops.”
A recent three-day stint of the campaign just ended yesterday. Any driver who feels that his rights were violated during this anti-DWI effort shouldn’t hesitate to work with a criminal defense lawyer who can protect his best interests.
Source: Clarksville Online, “Tennessee Governor’s Highway Safety Office Teams Up with Law Enforcement for More Cops, More Stops,” July 15, 2013