Sobriety checkpoint....and shakedown....

[fishinwrench]

I know that obsessive drinking and meth on the rivers is bad news, BUT, it is not AGAINST THE LAW to have an open container, or to be buzzed in a canoe on a river. Isn't this particular "sobriety check" an infringement ? Doesn't there have to be "probable cause" to shake someone down ?

I know one thing, if I'm fishing and some hotshot county boy shakes me down, lookin' for a Doobie or something....I'm gonna be ticked.

Just show me one of these "Rambo's" that didn't taste beer before their 21st B-day, Or smoke a joint on a camping trip. I bet lawyers LOVE this nit-pickin' county revenue builder. I see that they are really working the "resisting arrest" angle too.

OMG! A sobriety checkpoint on the river....I don't even drink very often, actually I never do when I'm fishing, but this just seems totally uncool. Do they just want people to go to work...then go home....and STAY AT HOME...or what ?

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Niangua River checks net 32 drug arrests, 21 underage drinkers

Published: Thursday, July 19, 2007 11:33 PM CDT

In June, a sobriety checkpoint on the Niangua River netted a total of 26 drug arrests and seven underage drinkers taken into custody, two citations for providing alcohol to minors, one resisting arrest, one charge of sexual misconduct and one fishing permit violation.

A second saturation held last weekend resulted in six drug arrests, 14 underage drinkers, two citations for providing alcohol to minors, one fishing permit violation, three resisting arrest, one forgery and two incidents that required medical assistance.

[brownieman]

I know that obsessive drinking and meth on the rivers is bad news, BUT, it is not AGAINST THE LAW to have an open container, or to be buzzed in a canoe on a river. Isn't this particular "sobriety check" an infringement ? Doesn't there have to be "probable cause" to shake someone down ?

I know one thing, if I'm fishing and some hotshot county boy shakes me down, lookin' for a Doobie or something....I'm gonna be ticked.

Just show me one of these "Rambo's" that didn't taste beer before their 21st B-day, Or smoke a joint on a camping trip. I bet lawyers LOVE this nit-pickin' county revenue builder. I see that they are really working the "resisting arrest" angle too.

OMG! A sobriety checkpoint on the river....I don't even drink very often, actually I never do when I'm fishing, but this just seems totally uncool. Do they just want people to go to work...then go home....and STAY AT HOME...or what ?

.............................................................................

Niangua River checks net 32 drug arrests, 21 underage drinkers

Published: Thursday, July 19, 2007 11:33 PM CDT

In June, a sobriety checkpoint on the Niangua River netted a total of 26 drug arrests and seven underage drinkers taken into custody, two citations for providing alcohol to minors, one resisting arrest, one charge of sexual misconduct and one fishing permit violation.

A second saturation held last weekend resulted in six drug arrests, 14 underage drinkers, two citations for providing alcohol to minors, one fishing permit violation, three resisting arrest, one forgery and two incidents that required medical assistance.

wrench,

IMO it's called easy pickins my friend, just like opening day at the trout parks. You left something out though.

They just want you to work, pay your taxes and then go home, lol.

If it's not the MDC it will be revenue for the counties.

infringement...what is that, lol. The rules and regs only apply to those who don't make em...not a one of them inhaled anyway, lmao.

Actions like these are totally imo absurd...until people have the backbone to stand up to this kind of stuff...it will get nothing but worse. More money (like they don't get enouph) IMO there needs to be some real response to stuff like this, letters to reps. congressman, whatever...probably close to one of those convenient boat ramps our tax dollars were spent for, lmao, that allow them to blow you out of the water while taking their girlfriends for a ride on the river in their jetboats we pay for.

You all do the math and see how it adds up...fairly obvious to me...just this stupid old boys opinion.

IMO the sign shop will have to make up some new river signs..."Drug Checkpoint Ahead"...don't know how that will work with no exits but the canoe rentals will get tired of picking up abandonded canoes, lol.

IMO they have to pay those big salaries and pay for those new (very natural trout stairs??) or new camera's in the cop cars, whichever it's for all to behold in all it's splendor...give me a break people. They say they enable us usage points and accesses and protect us...whatever...imo it's all show...with stuff like this going on how can anyone justify actions like these ?? As I've said before...we just feed the monkey to watch him you know...we have absolutaley no say in the matter...I don't care how good a facade is put up!!

[Rusty]

If having the enforcement on the water keeps the idiots home, then so be it. I am glad they are there doing the job they are being paid to do.

Maybe, after seven years of keeping my family off the water, I will be able to take them out again and enjoy what we like to do as a family. I really don't feel the need to explain to my kids why people are having sex in public, or why they are cussing us out as we paddle by. Or why they are fighting, or why they using the bathroom where everyone can see them. And then there is the drinking, and drugs. For Pete's sake, if they want to break the law, at least don't do it where everyone can see them doing it.

[gonefishin]

I agree with Rusty. It is about time there is some enforcement on the rivers. Underage drinking is illegal anywhere and illegal drugs are illegal everywhere. To combat these crimes law enforcement targets areas where the perpetrators are.

People on the rivers and in the party coves are doing these things in the wide open where everyone can see them. It is like they are waving a big red flag and thumbing their noses at law enforcement. Why complain when law enforcement retaliates?

[Ham]

If people stay away from the Spring river because they are afraid of getting caught with drugs or being drunk or some other violation of reasonable laws, I see that as a good thing. It ought to make my fishing day better. I think that if you answer an enforcement officer's questions politely and respectfully, you shouldn't have any problems UNLESS of course you're doing something illegal.

I'm still going to wait a couple of years before I try a weekend during the summer break. I'm not sure how long it will take for word to spread and how long they will stay with this program.

Nice river to fish except the young drunk and stoopids.

[brownieman]

I agree with Rusty. It is about time there is some enforcement on the rivers. Underage drinking is illegal anywhere and illegal drugs are illegal everywhere. To combat these crimes law enforcement targets areas where the perpetrators are.

People on the rivers and in the party coves are doing these things in the wide open where everyone can see them. It is like they are waving a big red flag and thumbing their noses at law enforcement. Why complain when law enforcement retaliates?

I agree gf,

It has got out of hand, The Current is a perfect example and now they are trying to curb it when it never should have got that far. To some it's like a water park with no rules and no respect for nuthin.

There is not much respect going around these days and the rivers...the clearer the waters appear, availability of canoe's, it's a considerable amount of 'tourist dollars' you're dealing with and has made some wealthy and imo they show little ( genuine ) regard as to the results.

IMO, the unruley ones, the drunken obnoxious, one's who are urinating and sexing it up in front of your kids...go for them but leave those who 'are' respectful alone.

[fishinwrench]

The thing is, the law dogs are only out there doing that stuff to build revenue. It is an easy arrest that helps feed the county.

Report your car, truck, or canoe stolen from a river access sometime and watch how hard they work to locate it, or the individual that took it. Give me a break. They might show up at the scene later that day, fill out a the standard report sheet.....and will likely not even offer you a ride back to town. More than likely though, they will tell YOU to come in and fill out the report...LOL

Don't mistake their intentions. They aren't out there for the purpose of righting wrongs, they are out there on the river "pickin' berrys".

Seeking out random people to arrest with out prior complaint is not cool guys, and if you think it is, Just wait....someday, one of you that thinks this is a bravo deal, might not like it so much when they disrupt your outing because of some piddly (no harm/no foul type) infraction. I'll bet that at least 50% of you aren't as "legal"...(down to the letter of the law), as you think. I'd much rather get to chuckle at a few drunken fools, and accidently see a pair of hooters, than go through a 20 minute shakedown by the county law. But that's just me.

[gonefishin]

Don't mistake their intentions. They aren't out there for the purpose of righting wrongs, they are out there on the river "pickin' berrys".

All I can say is don't show off your berries if your afraid to have them picked. I have a couple of blackberry bushes and when they get to showing off their berries I pick then and so do the birds and neighbors. If you are going to be in public you have to show some control over your actions.

[Danoinark]

The thing is, the law dogs are only out there doing that stuff to build revenue. It is an easy arrest that helps feed the county.

I think you would be very surprised at how "little" any county gets in revenue from an arrest of any kind. All you have to do is call your county district or circuit clerk and they would be happy to give you the breakdown of where the fine money goes. It's not like it used to be. Dano

[fishinwrench]

"On the books" yeah, court costs and the resultant fine is piddly...but Dano.... lawyers buy off prosecutors, and they buy them off with money from the accused.

And the stuff they confiscate....a "little bit" goes for evidence, the rest (DRUGS, GUNS, ALCOHOL, ECT.) gets liquidated back into cash.

So it's no "suprise" to me Dano, when a person gets busted with a pound of marijuana...and a lawyer gets the charge reduced to "under 35 grams", where the rest of the pound goes. Lets all be law abiding citizens, and raise our kids likewise...but by no means allow yourself to be nieve, upholding the "law" is big business...and only a sliver goes on the books.

You'll seldom see "a sting" at a bingo hall parking lot, targeting people driving (at night) who can't even come close to passing an eye exam.....and have pharmacueticals in their possesion that aren't prescribed to them. Know why ? not much money in it. there's no market for old pharmacueticals, and elderly ladies wouldn't bother to fight the charges...they'd just pay the piddly fine.

Gonefishin', Yes, show some control of your actions, but if your actions are not bothering anyone or anything...you should be treated kindly, your time, YOUR PRIVACY and your property respected, and you should be left alone. That's my only point Sir. They were not ONLY shaking down wild crazy drunken idiots....it was a "checkpoint". Similar to a Mexican patrol checkpoint...and it ain't cool. That's all I'm sayin'.