Thread: Sobriety checkpoint near church offends Richmond priest

Sobriety checkpoint near church offends Richmond priest
By Karl Fischer
Contra Costa Times

Updated: 03/30/2010 02:45:02 PM PDT

The Rev. Filiberto Barrera's phone rang Thursday night. It rang and rang and rang.

"People were calling and calling, saying, 'Father, there is a police officer in front of the church. We can't go there,'" said Barrera, pastor of St. Cornelius Catholic Church, the largest Catholic parish in Richmond. "I have to thank the police for scaring people away from church."

The object of consternation: a traffic checkpoint set up by police a few blocks away, near the corner of 22nd Street and Macdonald Avenue. In Richmond, police use of driver's license checkpoints to cite undocumented drivers and tow their cars sparked fierce public discourse in years past.

Barrera thought he needed to act. So he led 170 teenage students out of communion class to protest the checkpoint — a drunken-driver checkpoint.

"He (Barrera) refused to talk to us about it," said Sgt. Andre Hill, supervisor of the department's traffic unit.

Barrera said Tuesday that traffic checkpoints, regardless of their stated purpose, intimidate Latinos and ostensibly target undocumented drivers, as anyone without a valid license faces a ticket, whether inebriated or not.

He said he's never previously protested a checkpoint, but felt motivated to act by the proximity of Thursday's action to the church.

"By stationing their checkpoint here, they are saying this is a criminal church," Barrera said. "Some of the officers were cracking up ... I was disgusted."


The reaction left police Chief Chris Magnus scratching his head.

"Frankly, I'd be really sad about anything that takes away from our positive relationship with the (parish) community," Magnus said. "But I think that getting drunk drivers off the street is something we should all be able to come together on."

Police scaled back a program of license checkpoints in 2008 because of public furor, and the department worked closely with the faith community and Latino advocacy groups to educate the populace about the purpose of traffic checkpoints, including a presentation last year at St. Cornelius. Community collaboration also led to more lenient police policy about towing cars — most unlicensed drivers can call a legal driver to take their car home.

Still, traffic officers no longer goggle at the sight of pickets, who commonly appear at traffic checkpoints to support rights for undocumented immigrants to drive and work. Police hope time and education will better establish the distinction between license checkpoints and those targeting other kinds of traffic offenses.

Community leeriness actually prompted police to select the location of Thursday's checkpoint, a few blocks from the church, Magnus said. Police used a large city-owned parking lot next to City Hall to stage the event, which included extra patrols in the area around the checkpoint.

A motorcycle officer parked in front of the church to monitor one of the legally required "alternate routes" that allow motorists to avoid a checkpoint if they choose, Magnus said.

Barrera told the officer to get off the church's property. Protesters then ringed the checkpoint. Barrera said police tried to arrest him — Hill said police only tried to talk to him — but students blocked the path of officers.

Barrera on Tuesday also addressed gossip that he was drinking during the protest. He said he carried a red plastic cup that contained only water.

"If, next time, they fear the priest is drunk," he said, "they should arrest him."


http://www.contracostatimes.com/news/ci ... ck_check=1

This is such a FARCE. But then lying is what illegal aliens do best.

They called the priest AT HOME on THURSDAY to say the police were blocking access to the church. The priest organizes the "youth" to keep the police off the church property. All of this to voice opposition to Sobriety checkpoints. I guess the priest has heard enough confessions from his flock about driving DRUNK TO CHURCH!!!!!

hahahahahahahahahahahaha

The priest should study the ten commandments.

Only water? Perhaps the priest has gotten taste for vodka.
The cops should have arrested everyone interfering with law enforcement carrying out their duties!