by Lone Shark
Merely a week after military exercises featuring Blackhawk helicopters were flown over the Miami skyline, the Florida Highway Patrol has informed the public that it will set up “vehicle inspection checkpoints” on specific roadways in at least six Florida counties that will be established during daytime hours.
State troopers will be requesting drivers licenses and conducting a visual inspection of every third vehicle once the checkpoint has been established.
So what’s the point of these random vehicle checks of every third car, you may ask? From the Tampa Bay Action News site:
Q: What are “vehicle inspection checkpoints”? Troopers aren’t mechanics, so why are they checking my car?
A: Per FHP, defective vehicle equipment, such as bad brakes, worn tires and defective lighting equipment, poses dangers to the public.
Apparently the FHP is going after folks with worn tires and “defective lighting equipment” – in the daytime, no less.
And then there’s this reassuring nugget-
Per the policy, the degree of intrusion to motorists and the length of detention (emphasis ours) to each driver should be kept to a minimum.
I’d be willing to bet that experiencing “detention” on your short drive to the store is not something that’s high up there on your to-do list. But seriously- is the institution of vehicle checkpoints really a smart and efficient technique to minimize the threats posed by drivers who are actually driving around with faulty equipment- by pulling over every third car?
To this writer, it’s a stretch to say the least. Wouldn’t it make far more sense for the FHP to conduct ordinary roadside surveillance of moving traffic and scan for cars with observable defects rather than cause needless traffic delays?
Are Americans going to be increasingly be subjected to these kinds of “checkpoints” in the name of public safety, or is this just another instance of the emerging police and surveillance state that is simply part of the “new normal?”
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21 Responses to “Florida Highway Patrol Authorizes Vehicle Inspection Checkpoints in Six Florida Counties”
The Governing Class are employees of the Governed Class in the USA. The people are sick and tired of being brutalize and tortured by the government servants whom we employ. I as a law abiding civilian will be uploading in real time to the cloud a video of any interaction with my servant employees and put any infraction by the police against me on Youtube immediately. I do not authorize a police state in America to be used against me paid for by my tax dollars or for any other reason. Law enforcement must re-learn their role in American society and abide by their Constitutional oath or else.
Same here…I too will video any interaction, which I will refuse to cooperate with if stopped without “cause.”
Wow..brutality and torture? Really? Remember one thing…driving is a PRIVILEGE, not a right! If you want to be dangerous to others on the road, you don’t deserve that privilege. To accuse police of “unconstitutional searches” is nothing more than your own paranoia, and probably indicates that you have something to hide, like drugs or illegal weapons, or even illegals in your trunk. It’s amazing that people can substitute safety for illegal actions without knowing the real story and instead should be welcoming the free inspection for safety issues period.
Steve
Just keep giving rights away pretty soon you won have any.
Looks like you give away rights when ever they ask
These officers are suppose to protect and serve. Steve you have a right to be free last I checked this right was given by God. Another thing the next time your car has problems make sure you take it to a police station to get it fixed. Since these officers are such experts at car safety etc..
It looks like the FHP must be tooling for another pay raise. So they are going to go out once again and break the law in order to run another money grabbing scam on the people of Florida. This sort of thing infuriates me.
They’re going to be “requesting” licenses and proof of insurance? No, they’ll be demanding, and woe to the citizen who stands up for his rights or points out the Fourth Amendment to our Constitution which these roadside bandits will be violating massively.
They all swore an oath to uphold and protect our Constitution and not one of them has read or gives a damn about it. The only criminals on the road that day will be the FHP. They should all be fired for breaking the Law and abuse of Office.
Then what happens to the people who get the tickets written during this illegal search and seizure? They go up before some shyster judge in a traffic kangaroo court who also knows it was an illegal search and seizure and if he or she gave a damn about our Constitution or oath of Office would throw out the ticket, but they still takes the money just the same. What a rotten corrupt bunch of thugs we have running the State of Florida!
The Sheriffs of these counties should dispatch deputies to arrest these criminals and take them to jail. That would be of course, the criminals with the badges.
Three guesses what this is about. Hint: Two states in the western US recently legalized pot. You can look for checkpoints and routine “inspection” stops to increase greatly in all backwards states.
I never minded the checkpoints/roadblocks 30 plus years ago when they (The Border Patrol) were looking for, apprehending, and deporting illegal aliens. There was a purpose there. I always felt the inconvenience was well worth the end result. And I am sure I remember Bob Graham , before he went totally insane, when Gov. did away with vehicle inspections. That was during his limited government phase, prior to his foaming at the mouth raving lunatic phase.
If you’ve committed no offense and given no probable cause for such inquires/detentions seems a bit too intrusive for the casual observer.
We can only assume our legislators sleep through these little infringements. Yet they managed to stay up long into the night to nudge Allen West out of his seat during that stressful redistricting screw job. West had to go. So they made him disappear.
Our Liberty dies the death of a thousand cuts.
I recently saw that the police force in or near Tampa is setting up daytime checkpoints. Is the traffic around this area not already bad enough without the general public having to undergo unConstitutional stops and searches, which is clearly a violation of our right to travel without being stopped and molested?
These checkpoints are nothing but a set-up to create an infrastructure to control the American people…to almost CONDITION us to questioning and searches.
I am a law abiding citizen…a grandmother who IS a legal citizen, hates drugs and has a clean record–not just a clean CRIMINAL record, but a clean DRIVING record. I have just become a Florida resident, and am horrified that this is occurring in my new State.
Just for the record, if I am stopped at a checkpoint, I am not going to cooperate. I have a right to travel from place to place to do my shopping and my own personal business without being accosted by the police.
Respectfully,
Claudia M. Nelson
This was the email I sent to Senator Rubio and the Florida Highway Patrol!
Claudia, I sent my exact rant at the top of the comment section to Governor Scott asking him to put a stop to this action. His office sometimes gets back to me addressing my concerns. You go girl.
Claudia M. Nelson, Bravo! I couldn’t have stated it better myself! I will send something similar to Rubio and anyone else I can get an address for. Thank you for standing up for our rights!
I am generally with the Shark Tank on the majority of the positions it takes but on this one I am going to differ. I have lived in South Florida for 58 years and have seen it transform from a great American state to a state NOT unlike something out of Central America. There is no traffic infrastructure there and many, many drivers here do not know how to use ours!
Hundreds of thousands of drivers, unlicensed and uninsured, causing billions in insurance payouts. Hit and runs are the norm now, as is insurance fraud and scam lawsuits….automatic $10,000 payouts.
I will gladly stop and converse with the FHP, while they check me out as I am legal, insured, my vehicle is safe and sound and I will pat them on the back and tell them “good job”.
NOW, if they would just IMPOUND any cars driven by unlicensed and uninsured drivers, we could start to get these menaces off the roads.
SorryDangDog, this is not what the FHP is supposed to do. This is a violation of our rights. Don’t think for a moment that they are going to arrest anyone for being illegal or anything else. It is all about control and acclimating us, the United States Citizens to their over reaching presence. Let them get away with this sort of harassment and it will only escalate from there. What next? I will say, no sir I want to go FREE on MY WAY and ask if I am being accused of a crime. You should all do the same!
California had these vehicle inspection lanes in the early 1970′s. They were discontinued in 1973, or perhaps it was 1974, due to budget cuts. Remember, an officer who works a shift inspecting vehicles is an officer who is not patrolling a beat.
Florida apparently has an excess of officers available for this kind of duty, since this would have to require more than one or two per inspection lane, plus those officers who have to respond to take Claudia (above) to jail for refusing to co-operate.
Don’t accept the state now requesting more officers, if this is how they currently deploy their manpower.
Why are people reading so much into this? They will NOT be asking or “demanding” your license and registration. There SHOULD be an inspection annually like most other states have to insure people who have no taillights working, or excessive exhaust fix their damn cars. It’s a courtesy issue, not punitive. If you’ve got worn tires, you shouldn’t be driving the car, plain and simple. Why don’t you look up the story from Orlando in Oct last year of the father that was driving his SUV with worn tires during a rain storm, lost control, crashed, the rear door flew open and his 1 yr old son and the child seat flew out and the boy was killed. His wife in the back seat also suffered major injuries because she was not wearing a seat belt either. And the husband didn’t even have a license. Maybe having been stopped and given a written warning to replace the tires might have saved that 1 yr old boy. And a little common sense about having a license and strapping in a car seat and wearing seat belts would be in order too. Stop looking at law enforcement as the bad guys. This will not amount to anything more than pure safety for both the driver and other drivers around them when their brake lights are out and they don’t even know it.
So what are the 6 counties? Anyone know? I will be sure to avoid them. This is a violation of our rights.
Hi steve,
if you are stopped, try refusing to give them your license and registration and see what happens.
“i got nothing to hide”
maybe.. however, it proves the point that they ARE demanding your license and registration..
Many years ago when then Gov. Graham eliminated state inspections it was said that the law enforcement would check for faulty equipment on routine stops. If it is in the traffic law statutes it can be done by any law enforcement officer.
It never ceases to amaze me how many people are willing to freely give up their rights. Give an inch and they will take a yard or two or three. This is indeed a violation of the 4th Amendment, for those of you who would question this maybe you should read the Constitution, and don’t assume that just because the Supreme Court has ruled on exceptions that they are right.
“They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.” -Benjamin Franklin-
Everybody is losing sight of rights and privileges here. The state builds the roads, yes with our tax dollars. The state issues licenses to drive on them. It is part of common defense that the state makes sure the cars are not falling apart. Yes, there might be an ulterior motive, but to resist is playing into their hands. You must have a license, insurance and registration to drive a car. You must/should have a car that is not a hazard to others. The fact that they can see the outside of your car does not require them to have a search warrant.
I feel the timing, during the day and rush hour probably. Is not conducive to proper policing and I would have issue with that. Everybody needs to relax about the great conspiracy and save the energy and anger for those that deserve it. Congress.
nice post. I really want to know where to get my car inspected. Thanks.