DUI check point... what's the point?

Sunday night (after the Super Bowl) heading north in Pyramid hwy my family and I were funneled (sp?) into a DUI check point, along with everyone else on the hwy. I was able to proceed thru without having to roll down my window, speak to an officer, or even come to a complete stop. They just waved me thru, as well as everyone else in line. As ideal as this was, and exactly how all "check points" should operate, how can they justify all of those man hours? How do they expect to catch anyone DUI like this? Why not have 10% of those officers on that scene just do a standard patrol and look for people swerving all over the road, why bring a hwy to a complete stop, I just do not understand why they would endanger people like that while "keeping us safe".

Here is my guess.


"It is a visible effort that show that the department is serious about stopping drunk drivers."

Yes, complete bunk, but I have little doubt that the main goal of the checkpoints is PR, with some gratuitous arrests tossed in to show 'see who we caught!'

Theater.
But honestly, if you made a career choice that led to wearing a uniform with your name on your shirt, which would you rather do for the same money; stand around with a few of your buds on the clock, or proactively go out and work?

I'm not knocking the name on the shirt thing, I wore one with my name embroidered on it for a decade and a half.

Follow the money.

These roadblocks have nothing to do with DUI and everything to do with making money. They are funded by federal dollars, via NHTSA, funneled through the state DPS/OTS, and pay overtime only. That's why the LEOs love them. They generate huge revenues for seatbelt tickets and the like, which is why the cities and counties let the LEOs run them.

If the LEOs cared about DUIs they would actually set the roadblocks up according to law so they could obtain convictions. Watch the video here and you will see this is not a legal Nevada administrative roadblock:

http://www.kolotv.com/home/headlines/Super_Bowl_DUI_Checkpoint_in_Sparks_138749259.html