Those of you who frequent our website, facebook, and twitter accounts know that we regularly post notifications of when and where local DUI/license checkpoints are going to be. Almost every time we post one of these alerts, we get comments from people who feel like the only thing we are accomplishing by posting this information is helping drunk drivers avoid being caught. This is a valid concern, and something we considered before deciding to post the alerts. There is a rational behind why we decided to start posting these alerts, but we appreciate that it is a debatable issue, and we are interested in hearing what people have to say about it (who knows, we might even change our mind).
Checkpoints are a time-consuming hassle; the majority of citations given at checkpoints are not alcohol related (problems with peoples license, registration, tail lights, tinted windows, license plate lamps, etc.); and there is no evidence that posting information about checkpoints reduces their deterrent effect (probably because drunk drivers are not typically checking Facebook for checkpoint alerts). We don't condone drunk driving, and it is not our mission to help drunk drivers from getting caught. However, we are interested in protecting the rights of individuals, and we believe that enforcing the law and promoting public safety doesn't need to come at the expense of everyone's constitutional rights. Small infringements on our rights may not seem like a big deal, but it's a slippery slope and if we allow our freedom to be eroded little by little, we may wake up one day to find that the freedoms America was built on no longer exist.