Papers, Please.
Next week there will be more than 1,000 police checkpoints set up across the state. The police officers will stop every passing car, and look at the inside of the vehicle. If you turn around, and attempt to evade the checkpoint, they will pursue you.
What are they looking for? Abducted children? Escaped convicts? Terrorists? Loose nukes? Kilos of cocaine?
None of the above. They will be checking to see if you’re wearing your seat belt. It’s “Click It or Ticket” week.
Seat belt use in New York State is at about 85%.
I’m curious as to how readers of this blog feel about police checkpoints.
For the record, I and everyone in my car wear seat belts at all times.
Indifferent.
This only serves as a way to distance people from law enforcement officers. We should love and respect them not fear and avoid them.
Considering that with all of the construction being done (how they can afford it all with a financially drained state and county) and most drivers are already delayed 30 minutes on their morning commute, this should go over real well.
If a positive attitude is to be derived, perhaps the law enforcement officers should be setting up “spot checks” on the progress of the construction.
I think Ridge Road in Greece has been redone at least 5 times already. Gravy indeed.
Everyone in my car wears seatbelts and anyone with a lick of common sense wears them. That being said this is just one more inconvenience and will accomplish little and will cost precious gas. This also seems like search w/o reasonable/probable cause. It seems like there would be more constructive things for them to do.
How about moving those officers manning the checkpoints into the crime ridden areas of our cities instead.
I totally disagree that this would distance law enforcement officers from the people they serve. Stop your car, say hello…let them look in your car. What’s the big deal.
I got burned by one of these Thanksgiving weekend of 2001 in Waterloo. Thing is, I WAS wearing my seatbelt. My sin that day? Having Pennsylvania license plates and wanting to take scenic 96 home instead of the thruway. Seneca County sheriffs eventually got theirs, but I cringe at these blatant money making schemes. I seriously doubt they really care whether we strap in or not.