FHP Plans Roadside Safety Checkpoint Tonight On Hwy 29 In Cantonment

June 23, 2017

The Florida Highway Patrol will be conducting a “Comprehensive Roadside Safety Checkpoint” tonight from 8 p.m. until midnight in Cantonment.

The checkpoint will be in front of the old Winn Dixie shopping center at 470 South Highway 29.

There will be approximately 35 uniformed officers from the Florida Highway Patrol and the Escambia County Sheriffs Office participating , as well as support personnel from the Emerald Coast MADD Chapter.
During the operation, vehicles will be stopped to check for driver impairment. Should impairment be detected, roadside sobriety testing will be performed on site.

Warning devices will be placed in strategic locations for the safety and protection of the public.
Reducing the deaths and injuries associated with impaired drivers is of the upmost importance to the Florida Highway Patrol, according to FHP Lt. Jason Berger. He said these checkpoints have been useful in removing impaired drivers from  public streets and highways.
“US Highway 29 is a main north/south arterial route for motorist traveling through Escambia County. Through the use of Roadside Sobriety Safety Checkpoints, we hope to merge public education, safety and enforcement to achieve a reduction in the deaths and injuries associated with impaired drivers,” Berger said.

The public is encourage  to utilize *FHP (*347) if they come in contact with what they believe is an impaired driver.

Comments

18 Responses to “FHP Plans Roadside Safety Checkpoint Tonight On Hwy 29 In Cantonment”

  1. Jcellops on June 23rd, 2017 10:47 pm

    If I have a cell phone with an area code from California, would I still just text *347 to get properly connected to FHP? I’ve used 911 to report impaired drivers before and it worked… which one is better?

  2. Amy on June 23rd, 2017 10:46 pm

    It’s 10:45 pm anyone go thru the checkpoint? Are they getting good results if anyone knows? Had thought if they would have let some people be off to the side observing the evening how possibly interesting it may be especially those drinking and what they do to them – testing and ultimately arresting them. Hope it is going well and benefitial to everyone.

  3. PAPA KING on June 23rd, 2017 9:46 pm

    i get off work at 12.00am every night and i see at least 2 or 3 impaired drivers on my way home every night going through cantonment . i hope they catch them all .

  4. BG on June 23rd, 2017 8:48 pm

    Hey Native….THAT IS A FACT…..TRUE>>>TRUE>>>TRUE
    But will they

  5. BG on June 23rd, 2017 8:44 pm

    If you really want to find someone driving drunk
    DO NOT TELL THE WORLD YOU ARE GOING TO THIS……DU
    Well it looks good on paper work…..Come on people

  6. Allen on June 23rd, 2017 8:08 pm

    Well I appreciate the effort to get the drunks and what ever violations come along!

  7. Citizens on June 23rd, 2017 7:33 pm

    They have to advertise it so as not to violate your constitutional rights of unlawful search and seizure. They should not be able to stop a law abiding citizen for no reason driving down the road not breaking any traffic laws . If its illegal to sit outside a bar and stop people for DUI then it should be illegal to stop me for not breaking any laws driving down the road minding my own buisness i for one am tired of loosing my constitutional rights in the name of making me safer.

  8. M in Bratt on June 23rd, 2017 7:22 pm

    It mystifies me why the courts would let law enforcement conduct these warrant-less traffic stops with no probable cause to believe that anybody they are stopping has done no more wrong than pick the wrong route home or to work. It brings to mind governments that require their citizens to go through checkpoints and show their papers to get from one place to another. If these same 35 officers that they are assigning to this detail would avoid the waffle houses when the bars are closing and concentrate on catching bad and drunk drivers they would be way more effective.

  9. Jen on June 23rd, 2017 4:35 pm

    These check points work very well to get impaired drivers off the road. But just because there is a check point does not mean other LEO are not out watching for impaired drivers as well.

  10. Reality Check on June 23rd, 2017 4:03 pm

    My guess is that you’ll see 0 DUI arrests and multiple citations for minor traffic infractions such as broken tag lights and the like.

  11. Beetledog on June 23rd, 2017 3:52 pm

    From what I understand they are not allowed to sit outside of bars. It is considered entrapment. For what reason I have no idea

  12. Bob C. on June 23rd, 2017 1:09 pm

    SO….why not just park LEO a block or two away from the bars and honkey-tonks near closing time and then do your “Safety Checks” ?
    Sure, announce them, put a note on the door of the bars and juke-joints so they cannot say were not properly noticed.
    Bring in the wreckers to tow and the jail vans to haul to jail for further evaluation and safety period of time for those impaired.

  13. Beetledog on June 23rd, 2017 11:48 am

    They have to announce it. It’s required.

  14. Cyndi Brown on June 23rd, 2017 11:44 am

    For all of you who are asking why they announce these check points, they are required by law to publicize them.

  15. Native 1950 on June 23rd, 2017 10:47 am

    Agree! Why in the world do they make it known where they’re going to be? So all the bad guys ‘n girls will take a different route! How do you expect to catch the true offenders? I bet if some of those ‘35 uniformed officers’ were ‘quietly’ posted on Muskogee Rd; 95a; Williams Ditch Rd, Mckenzie Rd and Parker Rd they’d be doing a lot more to help our community!! SMH

  16. Barry on June 23rd, 2017 10:45 am

    My2Cents said it ! If you’re driving illegally you know to go down Hwy 297 and come out on Muscogee Rd. Come on FHP. Put a check at Hwy 97 and Muscogee at the same time and you’ll get some good results.

  17. Esc co leo on June 23rd, 2017 10:22 am

    The law requires it to be advertised. But the law doesn’t require advertising that there will be heavy dui patrols on the roads that people will take instead on Hwy 29 to avoid the checkpoint…. and you just never know when that car behind you is an unmarked dui unit. Call a taxi or use a designated driver.

  18. My2Cents on June 23rd, 2017 9:07 am

    I hate this is advertised. It would be best to not encourage drivers under the influence to take a different route. Truly TMI.