Last year, the Kansas City Police Department and other Missouri law enforcement agencies lost funding for sobriety checkpoints, shifting more than $19 million in federal funds to saturation patrols.
A saturation patrol is comprised of a big group of police officers who are ordered to patrol certain areas to arrest and deter drunk drivers. Similar to sobriety checkpoints, the main purpose of saturation patrols is to deter drunk driving by increasing the perceived risk of arrest. Saturation patrols often occur during holidays such as St. Patrick’s Day, Memorial Day, and Fourth of July.
Saturation patrol operations are flexible in both the number of law enforcement officers needed and the time that each officer participates in the patrol. On the other hand, sobriety checkpoints can be costly if paid media is used to announce them.
Saturation patrols are legal in all states, including Kansas and Missouri.
If you have been arrested for a DUI in Kansas or Missouri, request a free consultation with our Kansas City criminal defense lawyer at Stein Law, LLC today.