" Perhaps people are finally starting to get it! Good job getting the unlicensed drivers off the road. "

" Surprising there were no DUIs but good job getting the scofflaws off the street. Registration and insurance is not optional. "

" If they save even one life, then these checkpoints are totally worth it. NPD needs to do more of them. Bring 'em on! "

" Why can't "The 9" just be honest and call this what it is?

How about "Licensed Driver Checkpoint"? Or "Completely Legal Driver Checkpoint"? Or "Outstanding Warrant Checkpoint"?

I guess there's no state funding for any of those. They might be able to still get funding with "DUI Checkpoint (wink-wink)". "

" DUI checkpoints improve safety but we need to enforce the " no cell phone and texting law". Just put two motor officers on it and have them ride up between traffic in the morning when all of these distracted people are dropping off their kids at school. I rarely see people drunk and driving but I see hundreds of people equally disabling themselves and being a threat to others through the distraction of cell phone conversations. "

" The signs posted DID state Drivers License check. I was stopped at the checkpoint. No worries. Officers are doing a great job. Keep up the good work. "

" I agree that police should regularly hold DUI checkpoints to get drunk drivers off the road, but the cops should be prohibited from asking drivers for their licenses. These 10 cars that were impounded were done unconstitutionally because if these drivers were not intoxicated, there was no probable cause to ask to see their licenses. Anybody who has had their rights violated at a checkpoint by being asked to produce a license without probable cause should file suit against the City of Napa and if their car was impounded, seek reimbursement for towing expenses, loss of use, etc. "

" Hey KelzMom, what if the signs posted said "be prepared to be tazed ahead", and when you stopped they tazed you by saying that it is their new policy in the interest of public safety. Would it be legal and would you say no problem? Hey, just because they make a policy doesn't make it legal. It is only legal until it is challenged in court and they lose. Then they will rescind their policy and apologize and hope they don't have to shell out money for a lawsuit. Now, how about if Napa Police pounds on your door in the middle of the night and tell you to let them in because they are looking for drugs and guns. Why should you object if you have nothing to hide, right? Would it be legal? Of course not, but they make the policy, right??? Just because they say "drivers license check ahead", doesn't mean it is legal. "

" When you get a drivers license, you agree to follow the rules and laws that cover driving a car, including carrying your license with you and showing to an officer if he asks. Same with insurance and registration. I don't consider this a violation of our constitutional rights. "

" Hey bgraham, has your car been hit by an unlicensed driver while completely disregarding the driving laws? Not only was my car wrecked, but so was my back. I'm curious how many people in this town alone have been hit by an unlicensed driver. I know way too many people that have experienced the same thing. I'm thankful for these check points because they are potentially saving lives and keeping people safe. "

" bgraham. perhaps you don't understand that if it saves one life, most people would consent to throwing out constitutional rights. most napans would rather be safe than free.atleast, if previous comments on this topic relect what the community at large thinks.
even in a program that is usually 99% innefficient , hasseling mainly innocent people , when it comes to saving a life, the sky is the limit when it comes to spending. when this topic comes up we ignore the fact that the state is bankrupt and pretend we have infinite funds.
instead of thinking how much this costs the taxpayer in wasted time and police effort , instead of thinking about probable cause and your contitutional rights , when this topic comes up, just tell yourself how much safer you feel when the police say "your identity card please".
the phrase reminds one of old movies about ww2 and the concept in certain countries that order and safety were more important than civil rights.
one wonders how many more drunks would have been caught if each individual officer were told to drive around napa and look for weaving drivers and cell phone users, who now kill even more than the drunks .
oh well, "if it only saves 1 life", what do if we care if another 8 or ten are lost in the process ? "

" What a complete waste of tax dollars. Why not feed, house, clothes and provide health car for the poor rather than assault the 4th Amendment? I guess it goes along with the Napa PD getting their cars washed on Soscol with tax payer dollars when their are hundreds of inmates sitting in the jail. "

" Moot point, newshound.

There are far more accidents caused by fully licensed and insured drivers. That person would have still hit your car and wrecked your back even if they had a license in their pocket. Having a license doesn't automatically make you a good driver. The most common reason a driver loses their license is because of unpaid fines or failures to appear in court. Just because someone paid all their fines or made all court appearances doesn't make them a good driver, just a responsible driver.

If the DMV suspended licenses of all the poor drivers who disregard driving laws then half the drivers on the road would be unlicensed. "

" I am glad to see that there are other residents of Napa who are concerned about the erosion of our rights.

While I don't agree with drunk driving, setting up checkpoints reminds me of where I grew up. Only you wouldn't want to be caught turning around before a checkpoint there, because it wouldn't have been uncommon for them to open fire on your vehicle with live ammo.

Something to think about next time you are sitting in a "checkpoint."

Enjoy your freedom and defend it, don't take it for granted like so many of you do. "

" Not only is this questionable behavior. The location at the 400 block of Soscol leaves drivers with little alternative to make a legal turn to avoid going through the checkpoint as required by law.

These checkpoints are not legal in some states. Why isn't this funding cut with all the budget cutbacks? I guess because it is a revenue generator? "

" Since when is driving a "right"? I thought it was a privilege. More checkpoints! "

" bgraham-

Officers don't need probable cause to ask for you license... they need probable cause to conduct a search or to pull you over. AND it is not only a law to have and carry your license with you but you are also REQUIRED to have insurance. If you don't have insurance or a license, your car gets impounded simple as that. Maybe these people would know that if they went through driver's eduaction and took the necessary driver's test at the DMV. Who says these people just get to slide through the cracks? If I have to pay for insurance every month, so should every other motorist on the road!

Why are people so sue happy lately anyways? Give me a break! These people were breaking the law plain and simple! "

" newshound. i have had the only 2 serious accidents which totaled my car. both involved hit and runs. i am only assuming it was because they didn't have insurance or didn't want their rates raised.
to those who have , "uninsured motorist" insurance, be advised that it only applies when you can track the person down who caused the wreck and prove they have no insurance. it doesn't cover hit and run.
i can uderstand your desire to get unlicensed drivers off the road, given your experience, but won't you agree that , when we get 0% drunk drivers, that this is not really a d.u.i. checkpoint, but an identiy card check ? "

" So concludes the 7th "sobriety" checkpoint in Napa County since the beginning of the year in addition to 18 days of saturation checkpoints so far (that have been noticed, at least- albeit sometimes in out of town newspapers and not our own...). The Constitutional noticing requirements have been ameliorated as the intensity of the police has increased. NVR has 1) stopped informing the public of the time of the checkpoints 2) stopped informing the public of the location of the checkpoints AND for the first time last week has even begun to excluded the day of the checkpoints. According to the Napa police report to AVOID, the count stands at 737 total DUI arrests since January vs. 332 less in the same period in 2008 (Sheriff + NPD combined). This year's AVOID program has been a huge success and has taught a lot of citizens a life saving lesson, we all hope... and I ABSOLUTELY agree drunk drivers need to be found and kept off the roads but I don't want to live in a police state where the local paper is in bed with the police, either... we must sustain individual rights AND societal laws in a balanced way. "

" Most of the people who had no licenses, if they were allowed to take the DMV test and pay for their license, I assure you they would go through the process. And those who are not allowed to have licenses do have insurance in some cases. Except not everyone knows (unlicensed drivers and the licensed citizens) that they can buy insurance for their car. I once saw a person who entered an insurance company, screaming and complaining that they were braking the law to give those dirty know-nothing drivers insurance. The insurance worker simply opened a CA Vehicle Code website, and showed the person that insurance can be bought for their cars. Then the person left. Drunk drivers are dangerous. That's all I have to say "

" skeptic wrote: "when we get 0% drunk drivers, that this is not really a d.u.i. checkpoint, but an identiy card check."

The problem with that is that the Supreme Court has not authorized checkpoints for identity card checks except at the US borders. So, as the DUI violators caught at checkpoints falls much below the Court target of at least 1%, these "DUI" checkpoints are in danger of being ruled unconstitutional. "