Its most recent efforts have allowed the department to use its points earned to obtain two Intoximeters Alco-Sensor FST units to help officers corroborate in the field their determination on whether a driver is operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol.

This adds four of the newer units to the police department, which also has around eight of the older units, Sergeant Richard White, traffic coordinator, said today.

The units sale for around $541. The only cost to the city is the time to participate in checking stations, Booze It and Lose It and similar campaigns.

The funnel-shaped devices in the front of the box help determine whether a container has alcohol in it. 

“We can use them with suspected DWIs,” White said. “It helps to corroborate what the officer has observed in his field sobriety testing.”

While the readings of the units are not admissible in court, an officer can testify whether they gave a positive or negative reading. Officers can discuss the unit's findings in court when it is used in underage drinking cases, White said. “It helps to corroborate the officer's opinion as to the level of intoxication.”

If a person displays signs of impairment, a negative reading from the unit can help the officer look for other things, such as a medical issue or drug use.

The unit has a funnel-shaped device that can be attached and placed directly over a container of liquid and determine whether the beverage has alcohol in it, said White.

Another advantage to the new unit is its ability to determine whether a suspected offender is blowing correctly.

As White goes a year into his duties as traffic coordinator, he will be looking for more opportunities for participation to help the department obtain more points for acquiring equipment. “It's not the number of citations. It's about participation. When we do these checking stations, we find drugs, fugitives, people driving while license revoked, no insurance, child restraint violations, anything you can think of.”