" well it is not like they have much too do, other than bust people for driking and driving.. they can't control the gangs, solve murders or catch the vandels... "

" I can’t help but think that MADD rewarding government officials in any way for number of arrests is a little like the NRA rewarding officers for number of kills in a year. What impact do these awards have in the thought process of officers who have sworn to not only uphold the laws of the state, but also abide by the laws of our constitution? To what lengths will an officer go to secure an arrest…and ultimately a reward from MADD…a constitutionally illegal stop? Tapering with evidence? The top officer in California made over 400 DUI arrests in one year to receive the top award from MADD last year. When does it become a contest among officers? I think MADD should stick to what it does best…educate the public about the dangers of driving while under the influence and leave the award handouts to the state and local agencies that govern these officers. "

" I wonder if anyone has ever tried to resist arrest from Jerry Bohlander? That would be a bad idea. "

" MADD is just saying thank you to our county law enforcement...and I add mine as well. Thanks for fighting the uphill battle and trying to make our roads safer. Much appreciated! Thanks to law enforcement too, for not giving up in the face of so much criticism! "

" I need to be vague here, but a very close relative of mine received one of these MADD awards in another jurisdiction at a time when their PD was in desparate need of a sign of appreciation by the community. So these awards are good for more than just making the community aware that drinking and driving is a bad idea ( I'm sure some of you may be aware that I know that the daily DUI list here does more harm than good and am not afraid to let my feelings about it be known ).

So it's not just a publicity exercise by MADD. It's good for cops to get a pat on the back from their community.

In the case of the officer I'm talking about, he was totally unaware of this award when he was working. In fact, there is another officer who helps with many and much of the DUI stops who could very easily have taken credit for the arrests, but didn't. To them, it's not about piling up stats for an award, it's about getting drunk drivers off the streets.

I can't speak about what it's like in other departments, but I know that cops in some of our neighboring cities don't think about these awards when making stops, and I'm about as cynical as anybody.

It's good to pat cops on the back every once in a while. Now we need MACPD (Mothers Against Cell-Phoning Drivers ) to step up to the plate. "

" 1st offender DUI Prog. :$628.45
Avg. court costs/fines : $1,600.00
Total : $2,228.45
DUI's in the article : 409
Governments take : $911,436

The new way of generating revenue! Make more laws, arrest more people, collect more fines and fees. Repeat.

But we are still $26 billion in the hole... see the way this is going??? "

" The problem with MADD is that they have a hidden agenda. They really want to go back to the prohibition days. Currently they are pushing for lowering the BAC limit to .05!
For example, see
http://www.azduiatty.com/madd-continues-shift-toward-prohibition.html

So, if you even take a sniff of wine aroma, you are guilty as far as MADD is concerned. "

" reason-ator…you make some good points here, but I would tend to disagree with you in that this is exactly what MADD does do for publicity…it is part of an agenda to keep a high profile Washington lobby’s hand in the pork barrel. State, county and city law enforcement, it would seem to me, should receive their pats on the back from government agencies, not political lobbyists with any kind of an agenda that may or may not influence the work of public trust entities. I wonder why the police in the community you talk about desperately needed a pat on the back. Generally good and honest police work is recognized continuously through internal citations and made available through the news media outlets. State and local governments will also recognize officers and departments on jobs well done. These are the agencies that represent the communities to which you refer, not a powerful lobby with talons firmly attached to the State and Federal capitols. "

" Reason-ator, I'm with you. Oldnapan52, Not so much. I've been closely connected with both MADD and law enforcement in both the northern and southern parts of the state for many years. I can tell you without any doubt that , in seeking legilation, MADD is really trying to make roads safer - not make money like real lobbyists. There is no hidden agenda or benefit to them. I can also tell you that the furthest thing from any officer's mind when making DUI arrests is a MADD or any other award. Departments actually have to order officers to go to those events, but they are a part of the biggest weapon against DUI, and that is public awareness. I think the public is more aware of DUI issues now than they were 30 years ago, and MADD gets a lot of credit for that. As far as a .05% DUI limit goes, if that is really on the table, that is going too far, and I would oppose it strongly. California's limit was once at .15%, then .10%, then, around 1990, down to .08%. .08% is as low as that needs to go. Having said that, MADD should not get criticized for offering recognition to officers. "

" Reality1 – You are certainly entitled to your opinion and I am sure you have been fortunate in working with some fine people in these organizations. However, I beg to differ with you in regards to MADD being any different than other big money lobby in this country. For more information regarding MADD and its money making policies, please follow this link http://alcoholfacts.org/CrashCourseOnMADD.html#MadMoney "

" Hey, can you run the costs on a hospital stay that results from a mva caused by a drunk? Factor in ambulance costs (+/- air flight) and CHP evaluation at the scene, and costs of traffic back-ups.

While you're at it, what about the costs of a trial--make that two trials, one criminal and one civil--when a drunk hits someone's family member and causes great bodily harm or death. Oh, factor in lost wages, loss of consortium, ongoing medical bills, auto repair/replacement, etc. as well as jailing a repeat offender. Factor in the costs of doing nothing, ie., allowing drunks to drive without consequence, and giving a nod and a wink to others who will decide to do the same because it's not illegal or the law isn't enforced. "

" It's entirely possible that any of us are alive today because drunk driving is no longer socially acceptable, nor legally allowed, thanks in no small part to the tireless efforts of MADD members. "

" Law enforcement officers are not pulling over drunk drivers to get a pat on the back from MADD or anyone else. They are pulling over drunk drivers because they are a hazard to themselves, and anyone else on the road. And to think that they try to "frame" a drunk driver is ridiculous. It is kinda hard to fake a blood test or breathalizer test. Either you are over the legal limit, or you are not. It is a sad thing that people are actually bashing some law enforcement officers for doing their jobs exceptionally well and actually getting some credit for it. I don't know why so many people have such a negative stance toward this. The officers that protect us work under extremely stressful conditions and have their lives on the line every time they make a traffic stop. They do not know if there is a person with a gun waiting for them as they approach a vehicle or a home or whatever.

I say atta-boy and girl to all these officers. Thank you for keeping me, my family, and my friends a little bit safer by taking these drunk drivers off the road before they were able to hurt or kill anybody. I appreciate what you do for all of us on a daily basis, and I do NOT take what you do and have to go through for granted. "

" As a memeber of the Napa community, I love when our FINEST make a drunk driving arrest. I want them to know that I appreciate that they make these arrests. As a member of a family who has lost a loved one to a drunk driver, I think that the police departments efforts to curb DUI is commendable. MADD or Mothers Against Drunk Driving for those of you who have forgotten, is a great service who educates the community, especially teenagers about the cost of driving drunk. The list in the paper...is awesome. Keep it up NVR. I'll smile even more if one of these critics above finally makes it in! "

" I don’t believe anyone here, including me, would argue that MADD has not had a tremendous impact on the DUI laws in this country…I just don’t particularly believe they should be involved in the direct rewarding of law enforcement officers being paid to do their jobs, which most do very well, by the way. On another comment, which is somewhat off topic, there are jurisdictions around the country throwing out breathalyzer evidence. These devices are run by computer programs that are often flawed by human design. In several cases people who blew above .08 showed no alcohol in their blood. In these cases the officers did not have to tamper with the evidence, it was already flawed by errors in the written internal code. In California, many CHP offices have devices being used in the field that were purchased 16 years ago. I don’t know anyone today using a computer from 16 years ago and I cannot imagine anyone relying solely on this kind of flawed evidence. Personally I would like to see video and audio of the stop and subsequent arrest of the individual if I were on a DUI jury. "

" Unless you are someone that is bitter about being arrested for DUI, these officers should be recognize for their great work keeping the roads safe from drunk drivers. It's not a myth or some type of government conspiracy, but driving drunk does result in death. One senseless accident that results in a death is one too many. If people will learn to leave their car behind and take a cab, then the number of arrests would be lower. Unfortunately, I believe the cops only got half of the drunk drivers that are out driving around each night. For me, they are doing a good job regardless of an award. "

" Old_Napan: FYI, the machines you see being used in the field are not chemical tests. They are "Preliminary" tests. The chemical test is not completed until the person gets to the jail. Once at the jail, a person has the choice of taking a breath or blood test. The breathalyzer machine is calibrated and tested once a month to make sure it is functioning properly. All of this testing is documented and brought to court when the case goes to trial. If there is a malfunction in the machine, it will not allow the officer to conduct the test and they will then have a blood draw done on the subject.

Keep in mind, you can still be arrested for DUI even if your blood alcohol level is under a .08. There are two separate violations in the vehicle code. One section is for driving impaired in which the officer must articulate how the person was impaired and unable to safely operate the motor vehicle. The other section is for driving with a blood alcohol level above .08. Thus, someone who has something other than alcohol in their system (such as drugs or medications) can be arrested for DUI. Do not get hung up on the .08 rule. "

" Mr mumble – you are correct in that in most instances the PAS test is the only test given in the field, however, more and more jurisdictions where DUI saturation patrols are used, especially with state law enforcement agencies, these officers are encouraged to check out the chemical testing device and asked to offer the subject a choice to blow on the spot or take a blood test back in the department. The problem with the device is the source code in the chips used to calculate and ultimately provide an accurate reading. These devices are indeed calibrated often, but generally by the department that has purchased them. Calibration does not take into account the inherent code errors already existing in the source code. In a case that went through the New Jersey court system challenging the source code, four independent software standards studies found over 20,000 clear code errors or discrepancies that would affect the end result. The device tested is currently in use today by many of California’s law enforcement agencies. None of these devices is authorized for use by the Federal government or the FAA in testing their employees because of the inherent flaws. You can find the case online with an easy search. The bottom line for the public is don’t drink and drive…if you have a drink and get stopped, never blow…always opt for the blood test. And have a nice fourth. "

" I have no problem with officers arresting DUI drivers. However, MADD should not be recognizing and awarding officers for the number of DUI arrests they make. How would it look if I started an organization to give awards to officers who make the most illegal alien arrests? How about an award for those who make the most prostitute arrests? You get my point. "

" Bless these dedicated officers. Napa County has one of the highest DUI rates in the nation. With wineries around every corner and wall to wall wineries on the two major corridors we should all give thanks. "