JSO: 14 people arrested during Westside “safety and sobriety” checkpoint

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Fourteen people were arrested during a Jacksonville Sheriff's Office “safety and sobriety checkpoint” on the city's Westside last week.

The checkpoint took place Friday, June 7, in the 9700 block of 103rd Street, near Connie Jean Road, an area identified by law enforcement as having an “increase in crashes and dangerous driving “.

The stop took place from 7:35 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., in accordance with Florida's sobriety check law, police said in a news release.

Officers made contact with more than 200 vehicles, resulting in 14 arrests, 30 traffic citations and 120 grams of marijuana seized, according to police.

“Our goals are to reduce the problem of impaired driving by increasing the ability to detect, apprehend and deter the impaired driver through selective enforcement of driving under the influence,” said Police Lt. Kenneth Lamb of the JSO Specialized Traffic Enforcement Unit.

Of the arrests, 10 were for driving under the influence, two were for drug possession, one was for driving with a suspended license and another was for a reason listed as “other.”

Lamb said the checkpoints should “raise public awareness of the dangers of driving under the influence of alcohol, chemicals or controlled substances.”

He said the checkpoints weren't just about stopping drunk drivers, and officers also made sure drivers had a valid license, were wearing seat belts and children were wearing restraint devices. appropriate security.

“We all collectively need to take it seriously to drive safely, in a safe manner. Make sure we're doing it right,” Lamb said. “All of our families depend on it.”

JSO said it will continue to conduct operations like the Westside checkpoint to ensure the safety of community members on the roads.

Police are urging anyone who witnesses impaired or dangerous driving to contact them. JSO's non-emergency number is (904) 630-0500.