UPDATE: Herndon Police Share Results of Driver Sobriety & License Checkpoint

On Friday, Sept. 6, Town of Herndon Police conducted a driver sobriety and driver's license checkpoint, at an undisclosed location.

Nearly 750 Patch readers shared the article with friends on Facebook, and shared mixed thoughts about the checkpoint in the comments. 

Reader Stephanie B. said, "Revenue generating effort for Herndon. Last time I checked the town of Herndon didn't have a problem with traffic fatalities."

Reader Adrienne Kelly responded to Stephanie B.'s comment by saying, "I graduated from Herndon High in 2010 and since then I have know six people who have died or lost a family member due to vehicles," adding that two of them had been killed by drivers under the influence.

Reader "El" seemed to think the sobriety checkpoint was a good idea, and commented that he was "glad" that police said they also planned to check for valid licenses.

The Results

In a report from the department, police said approximately 1,027 drivers passed through the checkpoint, which was held from 8:30 p.m. to 3 a.m.

Police reported one DUI arrest - which turned out to be the driver's second time in 10 years being caught driving with a license that had been previously revoked for another DUI offense.

Officers also reported citing eight drivers for having a license but not having it with them, and 11 citations for unlicensed drivers.

They also reported three child safety seat violations.

Regarding the results of the checkpoint, Town of Herndon Chief of Police Maggie DeBoard said, "DWI Checkpoints are just one tool we rely on to combat drunk driving."

"The main objective for these checkpoints is to educate the public and bring attention to the ongoing problem with drunk driving," Chief DeBoard continued. "We don’t expect to arrest a lot of people when we conduct these checkpoints, but we send a message to the community that we are out there, looking for drunk drivers, and doing what we can to ensure their safety."

"Sometimes the location itself may not be the most conducive to finding drunk drivers, but by moving these checkpoints around to unannounced locations, we create more awareness and hopefully make people think before they choose to make the decision to get behind the wheel," she added. "These checkpoints, combined with targeted DWI enforcement assignments, have assisted us greatly here in Herndon with keeping our roadways safe.”


What do you think of the results of the driver sobriety/driver's license checkpoint? Tell us in the comments below.

FOLLOW HERNDON PATCH FOR THE LATEST NEWS AND EVENTS!