Thread: ESCONDIDO CHECKPOINT NETS 28 DRIVERS

Escondido checkpoint nets 28 drivers

By: North County Times -
JANUARY 30, 2007

ESCONDIDO -- Police cited 28 drivers during a driver's license checkpoint Monday afternoon on West Valley Parkway, authorities said.

A total of 721 vehicles passed through the checkpoint, which took place near Avenida del Diablo and began about 3:15 p.m., police said.

Of those vehicles, 23 drivers were cited for never having a driver's license and one person was cited for driving with a suspended license, Lt. Tom Albergo said. Eleven of those drivers were also uninsured and several other drivers were cited on various violations, he said.

Police also arrested one person on an outstanding warrant and impounded 25 vehicles, Albergo said.

http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2007/01 ... _29_07.txt

Comments On This Story

Note: Comments reflect the views of readers and not necessarily those of the North County Times or its staff.

Al wrote on January 29, 2007 9:50 PM:"Good job Esco PD. Keep it up, do it every weeek! Fine their butts big-time or impound their cars. Not having a car to get to work will clean-up their act real fast. Those who fail to show proof of citizenhip when they get to court should be turned over to ICE and deported south of the border immediately."

Taxpayer wrote on January 30, 2007 1:03 AM:"Go get em Escondido!! There are many ways to get a message across and Escondido is moving in a positive direction! The illegals will begin avoiding Escondido! Great job!"

Way to go wrote on January 30, 2007 2:14 AM:"Keep up the good work enforcing our laws. "

John wrote on January 30, 2007 5:17 AM:"Great job Escondido police,Keep it up,Every day if need be. Impound ,fine arrest the buffoons who think their above the law. Deport as needed.."

GO Get em' wrote on January 30, 2007 6:28 AM:"Kudos the EPD. I drive that road every weekday for work. It is nice to know there are that many less illegal drivers on the road. Please keep this up to make our roads safe."

A Longtime Resident wrote on January 30, 2007 7:07 AM:"Congratulations to Escondido PD. Please keep doing what you're doing. In the long run it's going to help. Wish there was something that could be done about putting those 25 vehicles up for auction that were impounded. Those people that were unlicensed will be back on the road in 30 days....still without a license."

Ridgerunner wrote on January 30, 2007 8:27 AM:"Thanks guys!"

Police State wrote on January 30, 2007 8:29 AM:"Keep up the good work creating a police state. How about house to house searches? Mail searches? Wire taps? Hey these things shouldn't bother you if you have nothing to hide right?"

Ken wrote on January 30, 2007 8:34 AM:"Great work and I do hope that the police will enable a member of the ICE to assist and check status of drivers as well. I am sure that having no license, or no insurance is how the illegal aliens drive. I hope that other north county cities will do the same."

bryan wrote on January 30, 2007 8:47 AM:"Wonderfull, Keep up the great work EPD. Next is to get our Police forced trained by the FEDs so they can enforce our immigration laws."

Concerned wrote on January 30, 2007 9:21 AM:"I'd like to thank all the illegal aliens and their supporters for helping to turn So Cal into a police state. That said, I'm all for it. Enforce the laws!!!!"

Bro Rufus wrote on January 30, 2007 9:36 AM:"That's great! But why not snag the illegals out"

Support Our Oops wrote on January 30, 2007 9:39 AM:"Escondido may be the only place in the world where its most vocal citizens automatically assume that if 23 drivers are cited for driving without a license they must all be Mexican, or in their lexicon, "illegal aliens". These must be the same upstanding citizens who raid undocumented worker camps during the day while the workers are out in the fields working, and slash and destroy all of their personal belongings. What will it take for these to realize what a black eye they're giving their own city?"

To Serve & Protect wrote on January 30, 2007 9:43 AM:"All of us living in the bario city have a glimmer of hope along with some of peace of mind that the EPD continues these sweeps. It is frightening to realize how many drivers are on our roads without even a driver's license, but worse yet, no insurance!"

epd sucks! wrote on January 30, 2007 10:42 AM:"This crap is getting anoying! I am tired of getting pulled over and stoped at these check points, Epd suck, i agree with checkpoint for drunk drivers, but now they are just racial profiling, if you look hispanic you wil get pull over, and they want to check insurance license and registration, can they be fair and check every single car that goes trought the check point, i bet a lot of americans are also driving with out insurace, anyway! hope they stop being so racist."

Hey Jose wrote on January 30, 2007 11:32 AM:"I knew the comments would lead to a claim of racial profiling. I'm surprised that the claim of profiling was directed at the officers on the street who simply focused on the obviously illegal, who had already violated our territorial borders and immigration laws. Isn't the concept of establishing the check point for that intended purpose also profiling by more senior public officials. Who else would be caught than someone who is easily recognized for having no appreciation of our laws?"

esteban wrote on January 30, 2007 11:35 AM:"Hey police state? Why not just do away with all laws then? Would that be ok with you? Then no more "police state". Get a clue."

EPD Rocks! wrote on January 30, 2007 12:25 PM:"Thanks EPD! I don't mind any inconvenience whatsoever. Impounded cars should be sold and proceeds given to victims of drunk drivers. If they are illegals then their property should be sold and proceeds refunded to tax-paying citizens."

Mary wrote on January 30, 2007 1:07 PM:"Thank you; Wonderful first step! I hope bigger steps will be taken and more often. We need to rid OUR roads of illegals and those without driver's licenses and insurance. Let's set up more check points in other cities, impound and deport!!"

John wrote on January 30, 2007 1:33 PM:"Well done. People who drive without a license and/or insurance have zero integrity and deserve nothing but our contempt. They should also be fined heavily. Keep up the good work, Escondido PD. "

Something Finally Being Done wrote on January 30, 2007 1:46 PM:"Good for the city of Escondido. These people are breaking the laws by not having a license, insurance, etc. I for one dread the thought of being in an accident with someone that doesn't have insurance. "

kc wrote on January 30, 2007 3:18 PM:"Why are some assuming the EPD is out looking for Mexicans? Suddenly its racial profiling. Stated was 28 DRIVERS were cited. 23 NEVER had a drivers license and 11 of those were not even insured. It said nothing about Mexicans. One even had an oustanding warrant!! Good job EPD. Keep it up. Maybe the lawbreakers will stay out of Escondido. Mexican or not."

Esc Res wrote on January 30, 2007 3:51 PM:"Good job, EPD! Keep it up!"

Driver wrote on January 30, 2007 4:54 PM:"To the guy who wrote epd sucks.... go a different route, so you do not have to be bothered. Otherwise EPD keep up the great job, it is starting to get somewhat easier to drive the speed limit, around here. Some day my dream of always being able to drive the speed limit, instead of 5-10 miles slower, will come true."

Breakin' the Law wrote on January 30, 2007 5:02 PM:"The only ones who complain about checkpoints are the ones who are BREAKING THE LAW! "

Legal Immigrant wrote on January 30, 2007 6:17 PM:"Why is it it's always about illegal immigrants? Can’t you just be happy EPD is doing well without saying stuff about immigrants? Quit blaming everything on them. American’s mess up Escondido as well. The North county times, just likes to print articles that have a subliminal way to blame things on illegal immigrants…"

Skip wrote on January 30, 2007 7:01 PM:"QUESTION: Why is it it's always about illegal immigrants? >>> ANSWER: Illegal Aliens account for the vast majority of unlicensed, uninsured, and unregistered drivers in Escondido. Illegal Aliens are way more likely to be involved in hit-and-run accidents, due to the ramifications of them being Illegal. Illegal Aliens are more apt never to have any driving training or to know the laws and regulations of driving in California. Illegal Aliens will not get a California Driver's license if United States citizens have anything to do with it because having a driver's License will imply legality. Until the laws are changed I have no sympathy for Illegal Aliens who further break our laws."

Robert24 wrote on January 30, 2007 7:47 PM:"Hey "epd sucks"; I was in that checkpoint yesterday, and I'm Caucasian. Call me Whitey if it makes you feel better! Everybody was pulled over, not just Mexicans, but even us White people. Guess what? I showed my Drivers License (not only do I have that, I am legal also) and away I went, just like everyone else who did that. Sorry that the facts show that the majority, if not all, unlicensed drivers are, as you say, hispanic. As for the EPD, keep up the great work! I will happily gp through one of those check points every day!"

Singa wrote on January 30, 2007 7:55 PM:"Woo hoo! You have me singing a happy tune! Thank you Esco PD! Don't give them their cars back until they can show PROOF of valid license AND insurance! "

Add Your Comments or Letter to the Editor

They should have those check points more often.

Agree, Swatchick. They're badly needed here.

can they come to I-35 for a road check...oh for the love of God please!