ROADBLOCKS: ANOTHER POINT OF VIEW

Captains Taylor and Durham of the Fairfax City Police Department, Fairfax, Virginia refute an article in the April 1984 "Police Chief" by Chief Carroll Buracker of Fairfax County, who seems to have missed the point that the purpose of roadblocks is not only to instill in the public a fear of arrest, but to dramatize that drunk driving is unacceptable and anti-social behavior. Chief Buracker's concern that roadblocks were not cost effective is questioned in view of the fact that a minute expenditure in Fairfax City has resulted in almost universal public acclaim, a tremendous amount of public attention to the problem of the drunken driver, and a marked decline in alcohol-related accidents in Fairfax City. In summary, it is stated that Fairfax City roadblocks have been effective so far and that the Fairfax County Circuit Court has upheld them as constitutional.

• Corporate Authors:

  International Association of Chiefs of Police

  11 Firstfield Road
  Gaithersburg, MD  United States  20760
• Authors:
  • TAYLOR, D
  • Durham, N C
• Publication Date: 1984-7

Media Info

• Pagination: p. 45
• Serial:
  • POLICE CHIEF
  • Volume: 51
  • Issue Number: 7

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Cost effectiveness; Countermeasures; Drunk drivers; Drunk driving; Law enforcement; Legal factors; Measures of effectiveness; Roadblocks
• Uncontrolled Terms: Effectiveness
• Geographic Terms: Virginia
• Subject Areas: Law; Safety and Human Factors; Security and Emergencies;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00392452
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
• Report/Paper Numbers: HS-037 405
• Files: HSL, USDOT
• Created Date: Feb 28 1985 12:00AM