BRYANS ROAD / WALDORF –
They stood in the middle of traffic for nearly four hours last Friday evening; bright orange vests warning motorists not to hit them. It obviously wasn’t a covert operation. The officers didn’t even have arrests primarily on their minds – not that they were going to pass up the opportunity if it presented itself.
Attention was the thing of most concern for this group of eight traffic operations officers, two police cadets and one civilian assistant. Sergeant Hoover Thompson, Officers Steve Burrows, Shayne Stanley, Rochelle Williams, Duck Belfield, Tony Verdiglione, Robert Taylor, and Robert Glover; Cadets Chris Barrows, Matt Van Horn, and civilian assistant Rebecca Martin were out to make a scene, give the public information and look for drunk drivers. Stopping every vehicle.
Although it was rush hour, no one took their irritation out on the officers. Most people were polite. Some smiled and thanked the officers. Others looked worried, confused or curious as they pulled to a stop beside an orange-vested officer. Every motorist left with a pamphlet about the purpose of sobriety checkpoints and the officers’ goal to prevent people from driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
These officers take DUI infractions very seriously. Their attitude and the community support and benefit of the mission was reinforced when one driver spoke to Officer Belfield before he drove on. “Thanks for doing this. My mom was killed by a drunk driver,” said the motorist.
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Half way through their allotted time on Billingsly Road, Officer Glover directed the driver of a medium sized red truck out of line and into a space at the side of the road. This young driver had just purchased a pack of bottled beer in Bryans Road and was on the way to his buddy’s house a short distance away.
According to Officers Glover and Thompson, the man had succumbed to the temptation of a perfectly frosty bottle of beer. He’d literally taken two swigs when he came to the fluorescent orange “Sobriety Checkpoint” sign. Officer Glover instantly noticed the open bottle barely hidden in the driver’s lap, and directed him to the shoulder of the road.
The driver was respectful and apologetic; anxiously hoping that two swigs didn’t make this a DUI offense. Officers Glover and Thompson put the man through the battery of sobriety tests. His two swigs of beer didn’t register on the tests, but punishment was still in order.
This was a teaching moment for Sgt. Hoover Thompson, who supervised the checkpoints. They gave the man a $500 citation for having an open container in his vehicle, then made him pour out that perfect and suddenly quite expensive bottle of beer.
Officers also pulled over a grey sedan. The woman driving the vehicle had purchased the car early