Drawing Blood Will Help Stop Drunk Driving, Police Say

BOISE, Idaho — When police officer Darryll Dowell is on patrol in the southwestern Idaho city of Nampa, he'll pull up at a stoplight and usually start casing the vehicle. Nowadays, his eyes will also focus on the driver's arms, as he tries to search for a plump, bouncy vein.

"I was looking at people's arms and hands, thinking, 'I could draw from that,'" Dowell said.

It's all part of training he and a select cadre of officers in Idaho and Texas have received in recent months to draw blood from those suspected of drunken or drugged driving. The federal program's aim is to determine if blood draws by cops can be an effective tool against drunk drivers and aid in their prosecution.

Link for full article:

www.foxnews.com...



Well I dont like drunk driving but I certainly dont like the idea of police being able to draw blood. I know that there have to be measures in place to stop drunk driving but I think that this is crossing the line. What do you say fellow ATSers? How do you feel about this?


Mod Edit: External Source Tags – Please Review This Link.


[edit on 14/9/2009 by Mirthful Me]

This *could* result in routine traffic stops adding to the enormous DNA database! Since DNA is predictable according to familial relations, it would take less than 25% of the population in the database to effectively cover everyone!! Since we all get pulled over from time to time, it wouldn't take long to get 25% into the database!

This is a very scare proposition!! Pulled over for suspected DUI, but arrested for child support, or have a family member arrested for something they did, because your DNA was a close match to some evidence, and they could deduct that another male in your family was the real culprit!!

I don't care for this one bit!

reply to post by getreadyalready

You are right, I didn't even think about a DNA database. That is a scary proposition indeed. All I can say is I certainly wont take this laying down, they will have to force me because that's the only way they will get my blood.



[edit on 14-9-2009 by freeyourmind1111]

I fully support local police, state police, and sheriff depts drawing blood for BAC testing. I was stationed over in Germany back in the 80's, when it was still West and East Germany, and the polizei were allowed to forcefully withdraw blood from your body if they suspected you of driving under the influence. I think we should've done the same here in the U.S. back then, and still do today. I say "About Time!"

Originally posted by freeyourmind1111

Nowadays, his eyes will also focus on the driver's arms, as he tries to search for a plump, bouncy vein.

"I was looking at people's arms and hands, thinking, 'I could draw from that,'" Dowell said.

So, they are targeting healthy, athletic types then? Or does drinking alcohol cause veins to bulge? How is looking for plump, bouncy veins going to curb drunk driving? What is he getting at? What about the overweight, poor vacular system having individuals? Does this mean they can drive drunk because the cops aren't looking at them?

Just my 2-cents (via a series of rhetorical questions)

Originally posted by getreadyalready
This *could* result in routine traffic stops adding to the enormous DNA database! Since DNA is predictable according to familial relations, it would take less than 25% of the population in the database to effectively cover everyone!! Since we all get pulled over from time to time, it wouldn't take long to get 25% into the database!

This is a very scare proposition!! Pulled over for suspected DUI, but arrested for child support, or have a family member arrested for something they did, because your DNA was a close match to some evidence, and they could deduct that another male in your family was the real culprit!!

I don't care for this one bit!

If they wanted a DNA database, all they need to do is gather it from the saliva that seals the income tax return envelop. I'm sure more than 25% of of the population submits them.

Just Sayin'

Perhaps resources would be better spent making this a society which doesn't foster people self-medicating to cope with the inequity, injustice, shame, and desperation our system has created.

As long as our economic system is based on debt (with compound interest) and forcing the working classes to make an appeal to the wealthy to find jobs (which means nothing gets done that the rich don't want) then drunkenness and drug use in general will be commonplace.

Credit should be a public utility, like borrowing a library book. Why do we leave it to private corporations known as banks, who charge interest on money they create out of nothing? Am I the only one who sees bankers as a parasitic class on society?

To the bankers I say: Get a real job! Do something that has value, and stop sucking the productivity of the world dry...

I see a world where habitual drug use and irresponsibility are a thing of the past, because society was engineered to allow opportunity for all, not special privilege for those who inherit it from thieves.




[edit on 14-9-2009 by 30_seconds]

That plan by the police officer is Unconstitutional and downright an invasion of privacy. This story is outrageous!

Amendment 4 of the US Constitution reads:

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

www.usconstitution.net...

First the officer would have to get a warrant from a judge before partaking in the procedure. No judge in their right mind would issue a warrant for such an act in the middle of the night. Hopefully, my assumption is correct, although, there has been some crazy things going on with the legal system lately. Plus, the officer would most likely have to place the person under arrest and then in that case give the suspect their "Miranda Rights." They, then, have the legal right to be uncooperative with the arresting officer until consulting and attorney.

So this crusade by the police officer is going to go down hill very quickly, and if it should be taken to court, it will be thrown out. Plus, as a result, the victim has all the right in the world to sue the city and police officer for violating their Constitutional rights.

[edit on 15-9-2009 by Jakes51]

reply to post by Aggie Man

If they wanted a DNA database, all they need to do is gather it from the saliva that seals the income tax return envelop. I'm sure more than 25% of of the population submits them.

Just Sayin'

That is the perfect conspiracy!! We should run with that rumor, and if enough people believe it, they will stop paying their taxes!!

A speaker at the Tea Party this weekend suggested that all 50 states secede from the Union, and form a new Union, and let Washington DC figure out how to pay off the Trillions of Debt from its few residents!!

reply to post by freeyourmind1111


To help protect yourselves against these vampires with badges...

news.bbc.co.uk...

mwahahaha.

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/7598e6abe886.jpg[/atsimg]

[edit on 15-9-2009 by digger2381]

I couldn't care less what it helps fight. No one will draw my blood without my permission. NO ONE. I will fight to the death before I let someone stick a needle in my arm without my permission.

I'm sure there will be plenty of "If you aren't doing anything wrong, you've got nothing to worry about" people that will comment on this, and thats fine. But any cop that thinks they are going to get to my blood better be prepared. I fight dirty, and I fight to win.

Originally posted by digger2381
reply to post by freeyourmind1111

 

To help protect yourselves against these vampires with badges...

news.bbc.co.uk...

mwahahaha.

That is great!! I rigged something for a friend of mines Jeep that served the same purpose! He was scared to drive his Customized Jeep after he moved to Dallas, TX. So, I took an old coil spring and a couple of rubber stops and a hoodlatch cable, and some rebar, and we rigged a "knee breaker" under the lip of each door jam!! You reach for door handle, and pull the release lever and a stick of rebar rakes about a 2.5 foot radius with enough force to disable whoever is standing near the door!

reply to post by digger2381


That is Awesome!!!
Where can I get one of those

reply to post by freeyourmind1111


I am sure that vampires also say that drawing blood will help stop drunk driving, bah-dah-boom! Seriously disturbing.

reply to post by Aggie Man

Agreed. I think it's just plain absurd that the officer even made that comment, it's left wide open to speculation. What was he thinking???

Originally posted by captaintyinknots

I'm sure there will be plenty of "If you aren't doing anything wrong, you've got nothing to worry about" people that will comment on this, and thats fine. But any cop that thinks they are going to get to my blood better be prepared. I fight dirty, and I fight to win.

Yeah, I also think some might say "If you aren't doing anything wrong, you've got nothing to worry about" but that's a problem for me. I mean look at the headlines everyday, cop tasered a 78 year old man, cop tasered a unarmed teenager,ect.,ect,.ect.. I mean I could go on for days w/ those stories. Officers having the right to draw blood from whomever they wish could also end up being abused. Not all officers are bad, but I still don't trust them.

reply to post by Ferris.Bueller.II


Well, I support my local police who do the right thing but in my area they seem to be few and far in between. So I don't necessarily support them drawing blood. I do see where it could be helpful but I also see where it could be abused. Not to mention the issue that Jakes51 brought up about Amendment 4 of the U.S. Constitution What's wrong with just doing the field sobriety tests and asking for a breathalyzer? Field sobriety test should be enough to tell if someone is under the influence.Of course people have the right to refuse the breathalyzer but I always thought the judges were harder on the people who refused, but I may be wrong about that.

Originally posted by Ferris.Bueller.II
I fully support local police, state police, and sheriff depts drawing blood for BAC testing. I was stationed over in Germany back in the 80's, when it was still West and East Germany, and the polizei were allowed to forcefully withdraw blood from your body if they suspected you of driving under the influence. I think we should've done the same here in the U.S. back then, and still do today. I say "About Time!"

I agree.

I was stationed in Germany a few years ago and I couldn't understand why we don't do this in the States.

Its easy to pass a sobriety test and to trick a breathalyzer. Cant trick a blood sample.

Sorry, if I am driving my car down the highway, HOW is drawing my blood going to stop me from doing something I have already done?

The same premise was shoveled from our pocketbooks concerning the breathalyzer tests and road blocks. Why not just re-enact prohibition?
Prohibit parking lots at bars and facilities that serve alcohol? Ban "drive-thru" liquor stores?

Another quagmire in the making...

I DO NOT drink alcoholic beverages outside of MY residence...haven't for more years than I can count. Just a personal rule, each to his/ her own.

I would most definitely prefer that a registered nurse or physician do the honors, not that it would change anything regarding labeling, storage and further use of your DNA.

My main concern would rather be, extraction or insertion.....Once it is done, it is done!

I think I am going to start carrying a red Sharpie in the event they require I draw blood!!? HA! Geez, I need a drink............

What is the difference in piss testing? DNA is still there yes?