DUI checkpoint nabs 11 for drugs and alcohol

UPPER DARBY» Elevenn people were charged with drunk driving and/or drug offenses during a DUI checkpoint on the Upper Darby and East Lansdowne border over the weekend.

From 1,100 cars that passed through the checkpoint at Baltimore Avenue and Church Lane on May 4 from 10:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m., five were arrested for DUI from eight field sobriety tests that were performed. An additional six were arrested for possession of a controlled substance (pills or marijuana) and drug paraphernalia. Two of those 11 drivers were arrested on both charges and four were additionally charged for driving unlicensed or driving under suspension.

A number of traffic citations were also filed for various violations.

Upper Darby Police Capt. Tom Johnson said the results from Friday’s checkpoint were slightly lower than normal.

“When we hover along Baltimore Avenue we usually see about 12 to 15 people in custody for offenses, this was only 11 and we had eight impaired drivers,” he said Tuesday. “We didn’t get the result we normally get, but we’d like to think that at some point our efforts are having an impact.”

He credited people for being smarter with not driving while under the influence of drink or drugs by noting the higher number of Lyft and Uber drivers he has seen going through checkpoints.

“A lot of people are making smarter decisions with the availability of other transportation; they may have otherwise been a statistic on our arrest sheet,” he said.

Over 60 people helped with the checkpoint operation including 36 sworn law enforcement officers from eight different departments. Some of the officers had completed earlier that week a three-day field sobriety test class hosted by the Upper Darby Police Department.

Mothers Against Drunk Driving, The Pennsylvania DUI Association and local emergency personnel volunteered their time to the operation.

Upper Darby DUI checkpoints are made possible by a grant from PennDOT from an annual allotment of $40,000 that pays for three major checkpoints and numerous roving patrols.