Thread: ESCONDIDO POLICE CHECK DRIVER'S LICENSES TODAY

Escondido police check driver's licenses today

By: North County Times

ESCONDIDO ---- Officers issued 36 tickets this morning during a driver's license checkpoint in Escondido, police said.

Of the 36 tickets handed out in the 1700 block of East Valley Parkway, said Lt. Tom Albergo, 25 were for people who didn't have a driver's license issued to them.

He said five other drivers had suspended licenses, and 18 people were ticketed because they didn't have insurance.


One man hasn't had a driver's license since 1993, Albergo said.

"He just hadn't bothered to go get it," said the lieutenant.

Albergo said police got a cab for that driver, one of 28 who had vehicles impounded during the three-hour checkpoint that started about 8:30 a.m.

Police said the checkpoints are being held monthly in an effort to curb about 900 hit-and-run traffic crashes annually in the city.

"We're doing one every month now," Albergo said. "We try not to impact the early part of the commute."

Out of 1,576 vehicles that passed through the checkpoint, 335 drivers were waived through without checking their licenses to avoid traffic backups, the lieutenant said.

http://nctimes.com/articles/2006/11/29/ ... ogcomments

Comments On This Story

Getting warmer wrote on November 29, 2006 10:59 AM:"check Rose & E Washington, lots of morning drunks in the area!"

kay wrote on November 29, 2006 11:02 AM:"ummm...what for? Are they checking licenses just for fun? Are they looking for underage drivers? Suspended licenses? Forgeries? Bad photos? Give us a little more infor here...sheesh."

Ummm wrote on November 29, 2006 11:34 AM:"I will say 2 drunks and 25 cars impounded. It would be more drunks but its at the end of the month and everybody was paying for gas with change. "

CDL wrote on November 29, 2006 11:46 AM:"HOW ABOUT THE UNLICENSED, UNDOCUMENTED DRIVERS W/O INSURANCE THAT ARE JUST WAITING TO HIT & RUN "YOU"!!!!!!!!!"

Greg in Oceanside wrote on November 29, 2006 11:48 AM:"And what does Escondido PD plan to do with the ILLEGAL ALIENS they catch? Will they get deported or will this be another 'catch-and-release' exercise?"

esteban wrote on November 29, 2006 11:58 AM:"Hey Kay...I would suspect the cops are checking licenses to see if all the drivers have one....just a shot in the dark. Geez...use your head!!!!"

Unconcerned wrote on November 29, 2006 12:18 PM:"That is so racist! You're just trying to harass all those hard-working unlicensed, undocumented, people. We all know the only ones who need to have licenses and pay insurance are U.S. Citizens. What are you thinking? Where's the ACLU? La Raza? "

Skip wrote on November 29, 2006 12:26 PM:"What a novel idea. Actually verifying that motorists have valid drivers licenses. Sounds kind of racist to me."

This is it wrote on November 29, 2006 12:29 PM:"I am quitting my job and going to work for a tow yard!"

Oakland CA wrote on November 29, 2006 12:29 PM:"In Oakland, CA, the police were stopped from conducting DUI Checkpoints because the community activists claimed it was unfair to Illegal Aliens who could not get a drivers license. Duh..... It seems that they ended up impounding too many cars that unlicensed and uninsured illegals were driving. Gee they have to take their kids to school too."

Gary wrote on November 29, 2006 12:32 PM:"I have to give the Escondido police Dept. credit for one thing. There is no pretending about this! These are not DUI Checkpoints. These are actually checkpoints to see if drivers are licensed., and if they catch a few drunks along the way then it is a twofer. I suppose it won't be long before the ACLU gets involved and sues the city again."

Man wrote on November 29, 2006 1:24 PM:"if I didn't know the cars impounded are pieces of junk I would be out bidding on them, as they can only impound for 30 days. "

Early Morning wrote on November 29, 2006 2:23 PM:"What the PD should be doing is not starting at 8:30AM. They should start at 6 AM. Then they would catch 100X more people. Just drive down Lincoln,Washington & Mission in the AM to Centre City Pkwy heading south to the 15. If they really want to do something they should do this. I bet a dollar to a donut that the reason they don't is that there isn't enough tow trucks available and taxis to haul off what would be impounded. They'd have their hands full. Not enough room in the jails either. Only so many at a time."

Driver wrote on November 29, 2006 4:29 PM:"I went threw the check point this morning and am glad, maybe this will help get all slow drivers off the road. I am tired of getting stuck behind someone who needs too drive slower than the speed limit."

thank you wrote on November 29, 2006 5:11 PM:"Escondido Police Department. You are doing a great job at keeping some of the dirt bags off our roads. The people of Escondido that pay taxes are behind you 100%. Maybe with the possibility of the ordinance and these checkpoints, these people will move to other cities."

Mr E in ESCO wrote on November 29, 2006 5:23 PM:"Hey Unconcerned, why turn it into that? how many people were white? Black? Indian? YOU DONT KNOW DO YOU! God Im sick of people who always play the race card when its not needed! Poeople like you are the reason why the city is divided! Us against Them?"

Mr E in ESCO wrote on November 29, 2006 5:24 PM:"Hey Unconcerned, why turn it into that? how many people were white? Black? Indian? YOU DON'T KNOW DO YOU! God I'm sick of people who always play the race card when its not needed! People like you are the reason why the city is divided! Us against Them?"

Paul wrote on November 29, 2006 5:26 PM:"Gary, I agree with you, but didn't you know that it is a Right to Drive and not a Priviledge as stated in the DMV handbook (per ACLU it must be a right)? I say lets have anarchy, no one licensed, no one with insurance. Then everything will be settled barbarian fashion. Heck whilst we are at it, fire the police department, and lets go back to vigilanty justice. "

Ingrid wrote on November 29, 2006 6:02 PM:"Maybe if the Illegal Aliens start to realize that California laws are enforced in Escondido and they apply to them too, they will leave on their own. This just might be worth a try as it is cheaper and much tougher for the ACLU to make a case. Why we could have more code enforcement officers for apartments, parking, littering, unauthorized roosters, and so many different things, and all we just have to apply all of these laws equally to everybody. I was driving around East Escondido over the week-end and I did notice cars parked on the grass, and a lot of litter in the streets."

Now hear this... wrote on November 29, 2006 6:02 PM:"Checkpoints such as this are unconstitutional. Police need something we call "probable cause" or just because the constitution is over 229 years DOES NOT mean the fourth amendment doesn't exsist. Regardless of race or nationality...the eroding of even the simplest rights that are the foundation of our freedom is reprehensible. Even more so when done by "Officers of the law" When a foundation is tampered with all built upon it will fall. Be very afraid America you will be next."

900 HIT AND RUN CRASHES EVERY YEAR wrote on November 29, 2006 6:06 PM:"Now everyone should stop and think about that for a moment. That is almost 3 hit and runs a day and I am sure it is going up. Escondido should get really serious and have roving checkpoints every day. How many inocent people will die in this city before they really crack down."

Gary wrote on November 29, 2006 6:08 PM:"If there are 35,000 illegal Aliens in the city, I wwould guess that there are almost 10,000 unlicensed drivers, just in Escondido alone. Escondido Police Department you really have a job ahead of you."

Gary wrote on November 29, 2006 6:53 PM:"I don't want to appear to be bias. I am also glad that unlicensed and uninsured American Citizens are being stopped too. If you are ever in an accident with an unlicensed or uninsured motorists, or in an accident with a hit and run driver, that is a real bummer."

To Paul: wrote on November 29, 2006 7:00 PM:"I like your thinking. And while we are at it, how about, "No Human Is Illegal", and "LICENSES!, We don't need no stinken licenses". You are right about one thing, I do remember when the DMV Handbooks said on Page 1, that Driving was a Priviledge, and not a Right. R/ Gary"

To: Now hear this... wrote on November 29, 2006 7:42 PM:"Re: Police need something we call "probable cause" >>>> But the Police do have Probable Cause. There are a lot of Unlicensed and Uninsured Drivers in Escondido. The numbers do not lie. 900 Hit-and-Runs a year and rising. Every time they have a DUI Checkpoint which is constitutional, almost 90% of the people they cite do not have driver's licenses. We already know that there are over 35,000 Illegal Aliens living in the city, and by Law they are not allowed to have a driver’s license. More unlicensed and uninsured people then ever before are involved in traffic accidents in Escondido, and the numbers are rising. How much more probable cause do you need?"

Watch It wrote on November 29, 2006 7:48 PM:"Go to CNN.com and search this video, "Cops target illegals." Escondido PD and City Council please consider the possibilities of 287 (g)."

THANKS EPD wrote on November 29, 2006 8:37 PM:"Again, I say thank you to the Escondido Police Department!!! You are doing a great job. I have been afraid EVERY time I drive through a green light in this town, because there have been so many unlicensed, uninsured, drunk people running red lights and plowing into other cars, hurting or killing people. These checkpoints will really help keep this from happening as much. You guys are awesome!!!!"

CNN.COM

Watch It wrote on November 29, 2006 7:48 PM:"Go to CNN.com and search this video, "Cops target illegals." Escondido PD and City Council please consider the possibilities of 287 (g)."


http://search.cnn.com/pages/search.jsp? ... 20illegals

This is good news.

We need more checkpoints like this around the state.

The comments the public made at the end of the article were on the most part favoring the enforcement of the states laws. Sort of refreshing.