Another recap....

Because my titling skills are completely absent today...

Finally got a chance to get out for another DUI special last night - this one was a road check, instead of out wandering around looking for drunks. Road checks are one of those luck things in my experience - what you come out of it with at the end of the night greatly depends on where you end up standing at any particular moment, and what car pulls up to you. Sometimes you get lucky with a good arrest, other nights you have a chance to meet a great many drivers who aren't impaired, who are licensed and upstanding citizens, and you can send them on their ways with hopefully a smile and minimal inconvenience. Either way is still a success in my book; even if I don't get a drunk off the road hopefully the fact we are out there will remind others of the risks and help them make good choices.

Anyway, last night ended up being one of the lucky ones. We've barely gotten into place and the first cars are coming into the line when I see the one that will be ending up in front of me; he's coming down the empty portion of the road in stops and starts as you can almost see the attempt to process what's happening and what he can do about it. Before he even gets to me I have a good idea where this is going, and it doesn't take more than a few seconds of our initial contact for me to confirm my suspicions. It isn't very long before we're taking the ride down to the jail for what ends up being a busy wait at the jail. Definitely made it nicer and a few of the other folks jealous that I picked mine up the very first car.

It did lead to other fun moments (like always). Yet again it amazes me the number of people I run into who think that mixing beer with heavy medication, or even just the medication, is ok to drive with - this was one of those where he even had the stuff with him labeled "Don't drive or operate machinery" - oh, but officer, I just HAD to go to the club for a bit, I was only a little dizzy... But apparently the world still thinks being incapable of driving due to medication is somehow less risky than being so because of alcohol. Of course this also adds to the procedures on my end, since I have to go get blood samples instead of just the breath test - we have a good system in place locally, but it is some more work.

Ended up with some frustrations with other officers as well, a few times I had to bite my tongue. Guys not searching prisoners properly, or treating them like buddies instead of like someone in custody; being casual and half-assed about paperwork and procedures, and just stuff that tends to otherwise get on my nerves. I do what I can to help remind folks but sometimes you can't get through to people.

Ended up being a bit later after that since I helped a coworker with his own arrest. His catch was a guy on a weekend away from the military, who apparently thought it would be nice to supplement his DOD pay with some drug distribution, concealed guns and all that... Not fun getting to call a duty officer in the middle of the night and explaining that one of their enlisted guys is in custody on numerous serious felony charges...

Off to take the kids for some museum fun time and a bit more Halloween. Hope everyone out there gets good sweets of some sort or another. My plans involve a quiet night at home with my wife, no costumes required...