Greene County Sheriff's Office to conduct sobriety checkpoint in Springfield

The checkpoint is part of the sheriff's office participation in a larger effort to crack down on drunk driving.

May 04, 2012|Edited press release

GREENE COUNTY, Mo. – With prom and graduation season here, Missouri law enforcement want to make sure Missouri youth are celebrating safe and sober. The Greene County Sheriff’s Office will join other Missouri law enforcement agencies to crack down on drunk driving May 3-13, 2012.

On Saturday, May 5th, the Greene County Sheriff’s Office will be conducting a sobriety checkpoint in Springfield (a location in Greene County jurisdiction). The mission of the Greene County Sheriff’s Office is to remove impaired and intoxicated drivers from the roadway. The Greene County Sheriff’s Office will utilize this sobriety checkpoint to facilitate that mission.

It is illegal for someone under 21 to possess or consume alcohol in Missouri, yet youth make up a significant proportion of drunk drivers causing traffic crashes on Missouri roadways. Missouri has a Zero Tolerance Law. If you are under 21, your license will be suspended if you’re caught driving with even a trace of alcohol in your system.

Consequences of drunk driving include jail time, loss of their driver licenses, or being sentenced to use ignition interlocks. Insurance rates go up. Other financial hits include attorney fees, court costs, lost time at work, and the potential loss of job or job prospects. When family, friends, and co-workers find out, violators can also face tremendous personal embarrassment and humiliation.

“Driving drunk is simply not worth all the consequences,” stated Sheriff Jim Arnott. “Zero tolerance means zero chances: Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over.”

In 2011 in Missouri, 220 people were killed and 916 seriously injured in crashes involving an impaired driver. For more information, please visit www.saveMOlives.com.

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