Dallas Criminal Defense Lawyer BlogDallas DWI-Mobile Not Being Utilized
The Dallas Sheriff has a mobile DWI command post. The Dallas Morning News is concerned that this DWI-mobile is not being used enough.
It seems that the DWI-mobile has been accused or racial profiling. The number of Hispanics arrested by the command center exceeds their demographic representation. This may have something to do with the fact that the DWI-Mobile was placed outside of bars that cater to Hispanics.
A former MADD director doesn’t want silly racial profiling concerns to stop the glorious work of arresting drivers who drink.
Betty Ramirez Swinners, the former national diversity manager for Mothers Against Drunk Driving who developed the group’s Pasa Las Llaves (Pass the Keys) campaign, said
“I think it’s important for my community to be protected,” she said. “What are we going to do, turn our heads while drunk drivers devastate Latino families?”
The idea behing the DWI-mobile is that you place a breath test machine room close to bars and it cuts down the time needed to arrest a suspect. Therefore you can arrest more suspects in less time.
Unfortunately, since the legal BAC is so low and we give officers discretion to arrest on their subjective opinion alone simply making more arrests does not decrease fatalities.