Multi-agency OUI checkpoint slated for weekend

[ParkerAZTourism]

From AZG&F:
KINGMAN, Ariz. The Arizona Game and Fish Department will be part of a multi-agency enforcement effort on the Colorado River system next weekend (6/24-26), checking for individuals operating under the influence (OUI).
Arizona Game and Fish, Mohave County Sheriff's Office, Bureau of Land Management, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, will be enforcing Arizona's OUI legal limit of a .08 blood-alcohol content.
A large number of boating accidents involve alcohol, said Velma Holt, west sector supervisor for the Arizona Game and Fish Department's Kingman office. Removing impaired boaters from the waterways is a critical element in creating a safe, enjoyable recreational environment for the public.
All boaters passing through the checkpoint will be subject to a systematic safety inspection this weekend. Operators will be checked for alcohol impairment and required safety equipment, such as proper life jackets and working fire extinguishers.
The responsibility for boating safety among watercraft users is becoming increasingly important on our waterways, Holt said. The area is growing quickly and we share these waterways with California and Nevada. It's becoming very congested, which lends itself to more potential hazards.
Holt advises boaters to review requirements in the regulations prior to launching.
Pre-planning in regards to safety equipment is easy and cheaper than receiving a ticket and then having to meet those requirements, she said.
Additional multi-agency OUI checkpoints will occur on the Colorado River and its reservoirs throughout the boating season.
The Arizona Game and Fish Department encourages boaters to take part in a boating education class. Interested parties can look for available classes on the Game and Fish website at, www.azgfd.gov/boating.

 

[RiverDave]

Accidents are down, DUI's / OUI's are down..

You talk to the cops out there and they will say it's them deterring it. I guess they never think of the fact that we are in the middle of a recession and about 1/2 the people have lost their toys and the other half can barely afford to run them, and the other 1/2 (for the mathematicians on here.. LOL) Have just been driven away by over policing what is supposed to be a vacation spot.

Their solution to struggling tourist towns.. Add more check points and police.

Parker used to be the 3rd most notorious party spot in the USA as rated by Playboy magazine.. The cops chased everyone out of there and Havasu boomed and enjoyed the fruits of their misguided labor... Then MTV brought the gangsta's and caused problems that are still having a ripple effect to this day.. Which ironically enough the local police up there do little if anything to stop, or protect the "families" that are there to have a good time. They don't arrest the trouble makers and send them packing, they shut down the sandbar and copper canyon.. As if a peace of landscape was the real issue there.

I do not understand the logic these people use, other then their own personal gain of increasing their budgets and staff. They should at some point realize that the Police dept isn't a business, and their intent should not be to "grow" but rather to protect and serve.. Not be revenue generators for local / state governments.

When you have up to 11 boats patrolling a 11-13 mile stretch of river in their hey day, there is something grossly wrong with that. Especially given the fact you have 2 or maybe 3 on something the size of havasu, or maybe 1 boat on the entire lower river.

These people and their unconstitutional, and grossly unjustified check points need to have a reality check.

I can hardly wait until the day where a group of citizens puts them back in their paddy wagon and quite literally says "Take your shit down the road pal.. We don't need it or want it here."

RD

 

[460]

Not to self, leave the boat on the trailer and relax at RR or foxes this weekend. i dont drink and drive but i dont feel like getting hasseled.


Personally i feel its all about money. Just saying

 

[shawngr]

Can you get exact locations? Or is this to much to ask for? The Colorado River is a huge body of water..

 

[RiverDave]

Can you get exact locations? Or is this to much to ask for? The Colorado River is a huge body of water..

I have heard that it will be below Thompson bay on Havasu again.. Don't know if they will be doing it up at Pirates Cove, or down in Parker yet.

RD

 

[Riverbound]

Guess the mufflers will be staying on this weekend :grumble:

 

[ka0tyk]

glad we stay on the lower lake @ parker dam. away from all that mess.

 

[460]

Guess the mufflers will be staying on this weekend :grumble:

Yea no shit. I guess im installing my water lines tonite. Ugh

 

[460]

You going to Parker this weekend??

Thats what word on the street is

 

[nelsonlaptop]

I have heard that it will be below Thompson bay on Havasu again.. Don't know if they will be doing it up at Pirates Cove, or down in Parker yet.

RD

I hear the same. Going out on Thursday for the weekend to LHC. Will be there for a friends B day. I made them rent a pontoon and choose a sober driver so I don't have drunk idiots on my boat, just in my pool. I think I will have them go below the bay so I can get a first hand account of how they treat us. Should I bring my video camera? I don't feel like going to jail though.

 

[75 Spectra V-Drive]

I'm going out this weekend. Are the minimum requirements a life vest for each person on board, throwable cushion,and fire extinguisher? I don't have or want any fucking mufflers:grumble:What about NA beer?? do I need a paddle? horn?

 

[ka0tyk]

I'm going out this weekend. Are the minimum requirements a life vest for each person on board, throwable cushion,and fire extinguisher? I don't have or want any fucking mufflers:grumble:What about NA beer?? do I need a paddle? horn?

horn/whistle, throwable cushion in drivers reach, and i think exhaust is fine as long as its wet. flame arrestors.

 

[RiverDave]

I hear the same. Going out on Thursday for the weekend to LHC. Will be there for a friends B day. I made them rent a pontoon and choose a sober driver so I don't have drunk idiots on my boat, just in my pool. I think I will have them go below the bay so I can get a first hand account of how they treat us. Should I bring my video camera? I don't feel like going to jail though.

Send them into the lions den.. LOL

RD

 

[DeltaSigBoater]

I'm going out this weekend. Are the minimum requirements a life vest for each person on board, throwable cushion,and fire extinguisher? I don't have or want any fucking mufflers:grumble:What about NA beer?? do I need a paddle? horn?

My advice is to read both of these

California Department of Boating & Waterways

Arizona Dept. of Fish & Game

 

[shintoooo]

I'm going out this weekend. Are the minimum requirements a life vest for each person on board, throwable cushion,and fire extinguisher? I don't have or want any fucking mufflers:grumble:What about NA beer?? do I need a paddle? horn?

You need a horn or whistle

 

[Ziggy]

You need a horn or whistle

Meep-Meep

 

[Motor Boater]

Not to self, leave the boat on the trailer and relax at RR or foxes this weekend. i dont drink and drive but i dont feel like getting hasseled.

Thats such a sad statement if you think about it. I feel like this sometimes and it pisses me off because it shouldnt be that way. I went through the check point last year, I was sober and had all my safety stuff in order. I still got grilled and was made to feel like a criminal with no rights. I had been waiting all day to have one cocktail at Pirates cove and I just kept drinking water because I knew had to go back through there could get pulled over again and searched for no reason. No way 1 cocktail would have put me anywhere near the limit but I started to think about all the beers I drank the night before and just said F' it I dont want to deal with the harrassment. So sad

 

[JBS]

Some of you may recall that I got hassled by the BLM cops coming back from the Desert Bar on the Saturday after Thanksgiving.

The cop insisted that I was a DUI. I refused the field tests. I was not offered an in the Field Breathalyzer even though the officers had one.

I was then arrested for suspicion of DUI and Reckless driving. I was taken into the Parker jail where I blew a 0.010 on two separate tests. The "officer" was a little upset and said that I had wasted his time :headscratch:

FF 4 months to March 9,2011 I went to Court in Yuma. What a joke that was. No prosecutor. You got to talk to another BLM cop who was really there to collect money. He would not let me see a judge. He offered to cut the fine in half but not change the reckless driving charge. Remember I was not drunk so this was all they had. I knew they could not prove reckless as I was not.

I called BS and said I want to get in front of the Judge. I have a summons to appear in front of a Judge Irwin and I was not leaving until I saw him. I was actually concerned they would say i failed to appear.

I finally got to see a Judge Irwin several hours later who said he could not dismiss the charge. He said I could either set it for trial or have my case transfer to Phoenix. I chose to have it transfered to Phoenix. The BLM cop was less than pleased and was actually staring me down.

As I was walking out of the court room a bailiff told me to follow him. I thought great maybe I will see a prosecutor. The next thing I know I was being held by a Border patrol agent and him and escorted to the jail portion of the court house. They wanted to finger print me which I refused. After being held for about a half hour I agreed to let them take pictures of me. These were not booking pictures these were shots with a digital hand held camera. There was no purpose other than to try and intimidate me.

So yesterday almost another 4 months later I receive in the mail a letter from Judge Irwin, US District Court YUMA. In this letter were 2 documents. One from the Judge and another from the Assistant US attorney in Yuma entering an order dismissing the Citation against me and the judge approving that order.

So who still thinks it's about safety on the big weekends and not revenue.

NOT ME

 

[shintoooo]

Some of you may recall that I got hassled by the BLM cops coming back from the Desert Bar on the Saturday after Thanksgiving.

The cop insisted that I was a DUI. I refused the field tests. I was not offered an in the Field Breathalyzer even though the officers had one.

I was then arrested for suspicion of DUI and Reckless driving. I was taken into the Parker jail where I blew a 0.010 on two separate tests. The "officer" was a little upset and said that I had wasted his time :headscratch:

FF 4 months to March 9,2011 I went to Court in Yuma. What a joke that was. No prosecutor. You got to talk to another BLM cop who was really there to collect money. He would not let me see a judge. He offered to cut the fine in half but not change the reckless driving charge. Remember I was not drunk so this was all they had. I knew they could not prove reckless as I was not.

I called BS and said I want to get in front of the Judge. I have a summons to appear in front of a Judge Irwin and I was not leaving until I saw him. I was actually concerned they would say i failed to appear.

I finally got to see a Judge Irwin several hours later who said he could not dismiss the charge. He said I could either set it for trial or have my case transfer to Phoenix. I chose to have it transfered to Phoenix. The BLM cop was less than pleased and was actually staring me down.

As I was walking out of the court room a bailiff told me to follow him. I thought great maybe I will see a prosecutor. The next thing I know I was being held by a Border patrol agent and him and escorted to the jail portion of the court house. They wanted to finger print me which I refused. After being held for about a half hour I agreed to let them take pictures of me. These were not booking pictures these were shots with a digital hand held camera. There was no purpose other than to try and intimidate me.

So yesterday almost another 4 months later I receive in the mail a letter from Judge Irwin, US District Court YUMA. In this letter were 2 documents. One from the Judge and another from the Assistant US attorney in Yuma entering an order dismissing the Citation against me and the judge approving that order.

So who still thinks it's about safety on the big weekends and not revenue.

NOT ME

That is Unbelievable. I cannot believe you had to go through that BULSHIT!! :thumbsdown

 

[Cole Trickle]

Some of you may recall that I got hassled by the BLM cops coming back from the Desert Bar on the Saturday after Thanksgiving.

The cop insisted that I was a DUI. I refused the field tests. I was not offered an in the Field Breathalyzer even though the officers had one.

I was then arrested for suspicion of DUI and Reckless driving. I was taken into the Parker jail where I blew a 0.010 on two separate tests. The "officer" was a little upset and said that I had wasted his time :headscratch:

FF 4 months to March 9,2011 I went to Court in Yuma. What a joke that was. No prosecutor. You got to talk to another BLM cop who was really there to collect money. He would not let me see a judge. He offered to cut the fine in half but not change the reckless driving charge. Remember I was not drunk so this was all they had. I knew they could not prove reckless as I was not.

I called BS and said I want to get in front of the Judge. I have a summons to appear in front of a Judge Irwin and I was not leaving until I saw him. I was actually concerned they would say i failed to appear.

I finally got to see a Judge Irwin several hours later who said he could not dismiss the charge. He said I could either set it for trial or have my case transfer to Phoenix. I chose to have it transfered to Phoenix. The BLM cop was less than pleased and was actually staring me down.

As I was walking out of the court room a bailiff told me to follow him. I thought great maybe I will see a prosecutor. The next thing I know I was being held by a Border patrol agent and him and escorted to the jail portion of the court house. They wanted to finger print me which I refused. After being held for about a half hour I agreed to let them take pictures of me. These were not booking pictures these were shots with a digital hand held camera. There was no purpose other than to try and intimidate me.

So yesterday almost another 4 months later I receive in the mail a letter from Judge Irwin, US District Court YUMA. In this letter were 2 documents. One from the Judge and another from the Assistant US attorney in Yuma entering an order dismissing the Citation against me and the judge approving that order.

So who still thinks it's about safety on the big weekends and not revenue.

NOT ME

Did they forget to charge the batteries or plug in the breathalizer that day in Parker...lol:skull

What some people may call reckless I usually call awesome!!!:thumbsup

I had a similar story happen in Parker about 10 years ago....pure BS that they eventually dropped the charges on.

 

[SPFRONTMAN]

Just on channel 4 news at 5:00. Coast Guard needs no reason to board you boat or vessel. Unlike the sheriff, they give you the safety check excuse. Coast Guard is going to start hitting the ocean hard for B.U.I. offenders also. I believe I've seen the coast guard on the river also.

 

[cave]

Dam,,, This weekend? I don't drink when Im driving my jet bote but like to unwind a bit when on a mini vacation. This is one of the reasons I stay local on big weekends. Im known at my local lakes and dont get hassled. Sheriff and coast guard both give me the thumbs up. Cool Officers too.

Sux to drive a few hours away just to be treated like a criminal. Its not like Im gunna break any speed laws. Im in a gots dam Jet Bote .

Can you get a OUI walking from the sand bar resort to Fox's?

 

[Riverbottom]

Accidents are down, DUI's / OUI's are down..

You talk to the cops out there and they will say it's them deterring it. I guess they never think of the fact that we are in the middle of a recession and about 1/2 the people have lost their toys and the other half can barely afford to run them, and the other 1/2 (for the mathematicians on here.. LOL) Have just been driven away by over policing what is supposed to be a vacation spot.

Their solution to struggling tourist towns.. Add more check points and police.

Parker used to be the 3rd most notorious party spot in the USA as rated by Playboy magazine.. The cops chased everyone out of there and Havasu boomed and enjoyed the fruits of their misguided labor... Then MTV brought the gangsta's and caused problems that are still having a ripple effect to this day.. Which ironically enough the local police up there do little if anything to stop, or protect the "families" that are there to have a good time. They don't arrest the trouble makers and send them packing, they shut down the sandbar and copper canyon.. As if a peace of landscape was the real issue there.

I do not understand the logic these people use, other then their own personal gain of increasing their budgets and staff. They should at some point realize that the Police dept isn't a business, and their intent should not be to "grow" but rather to protect and serve.. Not be revenue generators for local / state governments.

When you have up to 11 boats patrolling a 11-13 mile stretch of river in their hey day, there is something grossly wrong with that. Especially given the fact you have 2 or maybe 3 on something the size of havasu, or maybe 1 boat on the entire lower river.

These people and their unconstitutional, and grossly unjustified check points need to have a reality check.

I can hardly wait until the day where a group of citizens puts them back in their paddy wagon and quite literally says "Take your shit down the road pal.. We don't need it or want it here."

RD

Dave as usual you are 100% correct.

I live full time on the water in Parker, and am one of the largest boat junkies and water sport enthusiasts ever. I have been through several field sobriety tests on the water and blown a .000, and still been harrassed.

My 80 year old father who does not drink at all has not been boating on the Parker strip in several years. He was a full time caregiver to my mother with Altzheimers and he used to take her from dam to dam every day on our pontoon boat. One Wednesday in early November ( river is really crowded that time of year ) he was stopped for a safety inspection. The officers made my father put on a life jacket, get into there boat for a sobriety test. ( He blew a 0.00 of course ) They let our boat drift down the river with my mother by herself, for almost 45 minutes. She was pretty upset and did not understand where my dad was. ( Don't you think they could have held on to our boat, not like she could operate it in her condition, or should be left alone )

Needless to say this was very upsetting for the whole family, and my mom would never get on the boat again, and my father really lost respect for the La Paz County Sherriffs.

O.K. thanks my Rant is over.

RD always wonders how I can live in Parker with a building full of boats, and we drive 800 miles a couple of weeks each summer to water ski on the Snake River in Idaho.

Parker water cops Suck !

 

[Racey]

WELCOME BACK DAVE!!!!!!!!!!!!! :thumbsupx1000000000000


And JBS as well :thumbsup

 

[westair]

Some of you may recall that I got hassled by the BLM cops coming back from the Desert Bar on the Saturday after Thanksgiving.

The cop insisted that I was a DUI. I refused the field tests. I was not offered an in the Field Breathalyzer even though the officers had one.

I was then arrested for suspicion of DUI and Reckless driving. I was taken into the Parker jail where I blew a 0.010 on two separate tests. The "officer" was a little upset and said that I had wasted his time :headscratch:

FF 4 months to March 9,2011 I went to Court in Yuma. What a joke that was. No prosecutor. You got to talk to another BLM cop who was really there to collect money. He would not let me see a judge. He offered to cut the fine in half but not change the reckless driving charge. Remember I was not drunk so this was all they had. I knew they could not prove reckless as I was not.

I called BS and said I want to get in front of the Judge. I have a summons to appear in front of a Judge Irwin and I was not leaving until I saw him. I was actually concerned they would say i failed to appear.

I finally got to see a Judge Irwin several hours later who said he could not dismiss the charge. He said I could either set it for trial or have my case transfer to Phoenix. I chose to have it transfered to Phoenix. The BLM cop was less than pleased and was actually staring me down.

As I was walking out of the court room a bailiff told me to follow him. I thought great maybe I will see a prosecutor. The next thing I know I was being held by a Border patrol agent and him and escorted to the jail portion of the court house. They wanted to finger print me which I refused. After being held for about a half hour I agreed to let them take pictures of me. These were not booking pictures these were shots with a digital hand held camera. There was no purpose other than to try and intimidate me.

So yesterday almost another 4 months later I receive in the mail a letter from Judge Irwin, US District Court YUMA. In this letter were 2 documents. One from the Judge and another from the Assistant US attorney in Yuma entering an order dismissing the Citation against me and the judge approving that order.

So who still thinks it's about safety on the big weekends and not revenue.

NOT ME

Amazing story! .... good to hear you could stick it out and they had no where else to go but to dismiss! ..... if there were more people like you they would probably pack up there shit and go home!!!

 

[Jet-Daytona]

Pay her what she wants and enjoy the day if that is what you need to do.She was posting in here some time ago and see her on Craigs List. This is what it is so what is the point to piss and moan? It is going to happen and if you are drinking and driving just hope you are under or? I think she has her Pilots Licence now and would be cheap insurance.

 

[RiverDave]

Pay her what she wants and enjoy the day if that is what you need to do.She was posting in here some time ago and see her on Craigs List. This is what it is so what is the point to piss and moan? It is going to happen and if you are drinking and driving just hope you are under or? I think she has her Pilots Licence now and would be cheap insurance.

Fight for your rights and end harassment is my suggestion. Come together as a community and finally say ENOUGH IS ENOUGH..

RD

 

[WTRR]

It would be hard to tolerate that kind of bullshit. The state Game and Fish Dept. is the only entity that patrols the river here. 200 miles dam to dam and almost 200,000 acres.
In over 30 years of boating here I've been through TWO safety checks and everyone on the boat was drinking at the time. No sobriety tests, no BAC tests, nothing like that.

I was at the marina one day and one of the G&F officers was there filling his boat up with gas and I asked him what exactly was the "policy". He said that they mainly just patrol and observe. If they see someone operating in a reckless manner, they will perform a safety check. If someone is operating impaired, they either designate a sober operator, or tow them back to the ramp and contact the local authorities. He said they tried increasing the safety checks back in the mid 90's and after the first summer, the amount of trash that was observed on the waterway went through the roof. He said it was a result of people throwing their cans out of the boat instead of putting them in a trash bag. People thought if they were stopped and they had a trash bag with empties in it they would get a ticket for OUI. He said that policy only lasted one year and the trash went back down the next summer. So back to cruising the river and pulling out the binoculars and watching people.

Memorial Day weekend, we had 3 boats anchored out on a flat off the river channel. Somebody says the man in green is headed this way to check us out. Sure enough, here comes the G&F officer. He pulls up, and asks if he can tie up to my boat. No problem officer...I pull out my registration card to show him and he says I don't need to see that...I'm not here on business...just thought I'd take a break from riding and come over and chat a while. We sat there for about 30 minutes, talking just about everything from fishing to football. The whole time we're all drinking beer and doing what we normally do on the river. When he left, he gave us some of his cards and said if we ever needed anything don't hesitate to call him, untied his boat, waved and left.

That about sums up the extent of law enforcement harassment around here.


I think your problems are the size of the waterway and the number of people that use it.
We probably have the same number of boats on 200 miles of river that you have on 15 miles. And I know our accident rate is almost non existent...

When I first got on this forum, I had thoughts about going out to Parker and checking it out. Maybe buy a place there to do some early spring boating when I retire in a couple of years. After about 6 months here....NFW.

 

[Racey]

It would be hard to tolerate that kind of bullshit. The state Game and Fish Dept. is the only entity that patrols the river here. 200 miles dam to dam and almost 200,000 acres.
In over 30 years of boating here I've been through TWO safety checks and everyone on the boat was drinking at the time. No sobriety tests, no BAC tests, nothing like that.

I was at the marina one day and one of the G&F officers was there filling his boat up with gas and I asked him what exactly was the "policy". He said that they mainly just patrol and observe. If they see someone operating in a reckless manner, they will perform a safety check. If someone is operating impaired, they either designate a sober operator, or tow them back to the ramp and contact the local authorities. He said they tried increasing the safety checks back in the mid 90's and after the first summer, the amount of trash that was observed on the waterway went through the roof. He said it was a result of people throwing their cans out of the boat instead of putting them in a trash bag. People thought if they were stopped and they had a trash bag with empties in it they would get a ticket for OUI. He said that policy only lasted one year and the trash went back down the next summer. So back to cruising the river and pulling out the binoculars and watching people.

Memorial Day weekend, we had 3 boats anchored out on a flat off the river channel. Somebody says the man in green is headed this way to check us out. Sure enough, here comes the G&F officer. He pulls up, and asks if he can tie up to my boat. No problem officer...I pull out my registration card to show him and he says I don't need to see that...I'm not here on business...just thought I'd take a break from riding and come over and chat a while. We sat there for about 30 minutes, talking just about everything from fishing to football. The whole time we're all drinking beer and doing what we normally do on the river. When he left, he gave us some of his cards and said if we ever needed anything don't hesitate to call him, untied his boat, waved and left.

That about sums up the extent of law enforcement harassment around here.


I think your problems are the size of the waterway and the number of people that use it.
We probably have the same number of boats on 200 miles of river that you have on 15 miles. And I know our accident rate is almost non existent...

When I first got on this forum, I had thoughts about going out to Parker and checking it out. Maybe buy a place there to do some early spring boating when I retire in a couple of years. After about 6 months here....NFW.

I wish we had more LEO's like that in the world. Bust the people that are actually being reckless, not everyone that has had a few beers is reckless, in fact very few of them are, being a dipshit is what makes for a reckless driver.

 

[mbrown2]

Some of you may recall that I got hassled by the BLM cops coming back from the Desert Bar on the Saturday after Thanksgiving.

The cop insisted that I was a DUI. I refused the field tests. I was not offered an in the Field Breathalyzer even though the officers had one.

I was then arrested for suspicion of DUI and Reckless driving. I was taken into the Parker jail where I blew a 0.010 on two separate tests. The "officer" was a little upset and said that I had wasted his time :headscratch:

FF 4 months to March 9,2011 I went to Court in Yuma. What a joke that was. No prosecutor. You got to talk to another BLM cop who was really there to collect money. He would not let me see a judge. He offered to cut the fine in half but not change the reckless driving charge. Remember I was not drunk so this was all they had. I knew they could not prove reckless as I was not.

I called BS and said I want to get in front of the Judge. I have a summons to appear in front of a Judge Irwin and I was not leaving until I saw him. I was actually concerned they would say i failed to appear.

I finally got to see a Judge Irwin several hours later who said he could not dismiss the charge. He said I could either set it for trial or have my case transfer to Phoenix. I chose to have it transfered to Phoenix. The BLM cop was less than pleased and was actually staring me down.

As I was walking out of the court room a bailiff told me to follow him. I thought great maybe I will see a prosecutor. The next thing I know I was being held by a Border patrol agent and him and escorted to the jail portion of the court house. They wanted to finger print me which I refused. After being held for about a half hour I agreed to let them take pictures of me. These were not booking pictures these were shots with a digital hand held camera. There was no purpose other than to try and intimidate me.

So yesterday almost another 4 months later I receive in the mail a letter from Judge Irwin, US District Court YUMA. In this letter were 2 documents. One from the Judge and another from the Assistant US attorney in Yuma entering an order dismissing the Citation against me and the judge approving that order.

So who still thinks it's about safety on the big weekends and not revenue.

NOT ME

Wow...that is wrong....something you would see in a movie.....would almost cause me to file a wrongful arrest suit...

 

[RokNRich]

They let our boat drift down the river with my mother by herself, for almost 45 minutes. She was pretty upset and did not understand where my dad was. ( Don't you think they could have held on to our boat, not like she could operate it in her condition, or should be left alone )

Yeah, that's BS for sure.....got pulled over in Havasu a few years back, I was the DD so maybe had 2-3 beers all day (around 4 PM when we got pulled over).....get in their boat for the tests.....my boat starts floating towards the rocks and I'm asking the Sheriff to get it....he says "tell your friend to drive it"....my friend was wasted and the cops knew that by then (I explained, DD, etc.)....I'm sure he would have busted my buddy for driving had he started it up....

 

[Baja Big Dog]

Its too bad that they have to publicize these check points, the element of surprise would be great to eliminate many of the boaters that are BUI (buy the numbers of course, I know most drunk boaters claim they drive better if they are over .08!!).

There are too many stories of harm to innocent people that could have been prevented with more enforcement of BUI laws.

What people need are some dash cams, and record the treatment they receive from ass hat LEO's.

 

[underpressure]

And the dick wads wonder why they are losing respect? The stories where they left the boat unattended just totally boils my blood! What happended to "Protect and Serve"???

 

[DeltaSigBoater]

Memorial Day weekend, we had 3 boats anchored out on a flat off the river channel. Somebody says the man in green is headed this way to check us out. Sure enough, here comes the G&F officer. He pulls up, and asks if he can tie up to my boat. No problem officer...I pull out my registration card to show him and he says I don't need to see that...I'm not here on business...just thought I'd take a break from riding and come over and chat a while. We sat there for about 30 minutes, talking just about everything from fishing to football. The whole time we're all drinking beer and doing what we normally do on the river. When he left, he gave us some of his cards and said if we ever needed anything don't hesitate to call him, untied his boat, waved and left.

That about sums up the extent of law enforcement harassment around here.

Reminds of the NPS Rangers back in the 80's on Lake Mead :beer

 

[nelsonlaptop]

I have met some really great coppers in the past. No power trip and polite. I have respect for police and the job they do. For some reason, the Psych test is not working to weed out the guys that have no business having that power and a gun. Something needs to be done and soon.

 

[JBS]

That is Unbelievable. I cannot believe you had to go through that BULSHIT!! :thumbsdown

Did they forget to charge the batteries or plug in the breathalizer that day in Parker...lol:skull

Actually just the opposite. I had some friends come back to check on me. They took possession of my Teryx. The person who drove it away was concerned that they may be impaired.

The officer that was still on scene gave this person a courtesy blow. They blew a 0.015 and was free to drive my Teryx home.

What some people may call reckless I usually call awesome!!!:thumbsup

I hear ya. but I was simply passing. There is no law against passing on the Desert Bar road.

I had a similar story happen in Parker about 10 years ago....pure BS that they eventually dropped the charges on.

Amazing story! .... good to hear you could stick it out and they had no where else to go but to dismiss! ..... if there were more people like you they would probably pack up there shit and go home!!!

Wow...that is wrong....something you would see in a movie.....would almost cause me to file a wrongful arrest suit...

I have only hit the high points of this story. The fact that I had a legal gun in a holster in a bag in the back seat of my Terx and there is no law against me having a gun is a whole other story. The BLM cops don't think you should have weapons. They are kind of ignorant to AZ laws.

I made a conscious decision to stand up for my rights that day. This was unfortunately not my first time having to deal with BS law enforcement. I was very respectful to the cops but I also wanted my rights maintained. I can tell you that they don't like you to stand up or question them.

I was taken in cuff's to the Parker jail but never finger printed or photographed. I was released after blowing into the certified machine. I was thanked for my cooperation and told we could of saved a lot of time if I would of submitted to the field sobriety tests. The officer encouraged me to send in my payment in a timely manner as it would only be a misdemeanor for Reckless driving and the Fed's don't report to the AZ DMV:headscratch:


As far a suing forget it. The entire legal system is fucked up and the reality is my story is one of thousands.

I do strongly feel that they are targeting people who they feel will pay a fine and move on.

I am telling you it was bizarre to wait for a court date, drive from Phoenix to Yuma and then sit in a break room with a cop and negotiate like I was trying to buy a used car. No joke it was surreal. BTW there were probably 20 cases ahead of me where they people either paid the fine or the cop reduced the fine and they paid it.

What is happening really reminds me of Mexico. Everyone has heard or encountered having a cop in Mexico collect the "fine" at the time. What happened to me is not far from that other than the Cops are collecting for the Government. How long will it be until the cops are collecting for them selfs? Think about it? Their pay and benefits are being cut at the same time they are increasing revenue for the Government.:headscratch: They will want their cut.


My feelings are do the right thing. OWN IT. If you broke the law pay up and or do the time.

If you are innocent spend the time and money to maintain your rights. Don't count on a win
The courts are a mess.

If we don't stand up it will continue to get worse.

 

[linus3]

That sux to read these stories of getting jerked around.:thumbsdown Not a fan at all. My only two contacts with water cops were to find out what size shirts the kids wanted and the second was to pass out frisbee's to the kids. :thumbsup

 

[Racey]

I have met some really great coppers in the past. No power trip and polite. I have respect for police and the job they do. For some reason, the Psych test is not working to weed out the guys that have no business having that power and a gun. Something needs to be done and soon.

I think that is very well put. :thumbsup

 

[HEY YOU]

So where was it at after all.

 

[Joe mama]

Some of you may recall that I got hassled by the BLM cops coming back from the Desert Bar on the Saturday after Thanksgiving.

The cop insisted that I was a DUI. I refused the field tests. I was not offered an in the Field Breathalyzer even though the officers had one.

I was then arrested for suspicion of DUI and Reckless driving. I was taken into the Parker jail where I blew a 0.010 on two separate tests. The "officer" was a little upset and said that I had wasted his time :headscratch:

FF 4 months to March 9,2011 I went to Court in Yuma. What a joke that was. No prosecutor. You got to talk to another BLM cop who was really there to collect money. He would not let me see a judge. He offered to cut the fine in half but not change the reckless driving charge. Remember I was not drunk so this was all they had. I knew they could not prove reckless as I was not.

I called BS and said I want to get in front of the Judge. I have a summons to appear in front of a Judge Irwin and I was not leaving until I saw him. I was actually concerned they would say i failed to appear.

I finally got to see a Judge Irwin several hours later who said he could not dismiss the charge. He said I could either set it for trial or have my case transfer to Phoenix. I chose to have it transfered to Phoenix. The BLM cop was less than pleased and was actually staring me down.

As I was walking out of the court room a bailiff told me to follow him. I thought great maybe I will see a prosecutor. The next thing I know I was being held by a Border patrol agent and him and escorted to the jail portion of the court house. They wanted to finger print me which I refused. After being held for about a half hour I agreed to let them take pictures of me. These were not booking pictures these were shots with a digital hand held camera. There was no purpose other than to try and intimidate me.

So yesterday almost another 4 months later I receive in the mail a letter from Judge Irwin, US District Court YUMA. In this letter were 2 documents. One from the Judge and another from the Assistant US attorney in Yuma entering an order dismissing the Citation against me and the judge approving that order.

So who still thinks it's about safety on the big weekends and not revenue.

NOT ME

That crap pisses me off. Good for you calling them out on that crap.I wish everybody would do the same thing and just maybe things might change.:thumbsup

 

[Mini Kat]

At I-40 saturday by Pirate Cove.

 

[Joe mama]

Fight for your rights and end harassment is my suggestion. Come together as a community and finally say ENOUGH IS ENOUGH..

RD

Well put dave:thumbsup

 

[Ultra26 # 1]

Let's hear it. Who was abused by LEO's at the OUI checkpoint on Sat the 25th of June. I was out on Friday and no issue at all.

 

[PaPaG]

Let's hear it. Who was abused by LEO's at the OUI checkpoint on Sat the 25th of June. I was out on Friday and no issue at all.

Had a few of the Moabi residents get pulled into the check point...most stated right off "we are not going to put our boat on the rocks" the officer on the water said don't worry they will hold your boat a float...

Three sets of people I talked to got checked...all took less than 5 minutes total for each boat...very friendly officers, very professional, very polite, joked around, never let any of the 3 boats come close to the rocks or river floor..checked for gear even found a violation on one of my buddy's boats and said he was not going to give a ticket just get it fixed before your next trip...

My buddy asked why don't you set up right outside the channel mouth at Moabi to catch all the drink drivers and he said WE would love to but he pointed to his AZ LEO patch and said we are AZ officers and that in Cali....From what we understood the check points were in AZ and not Cali backed more than likely because they are BROKE....

With a shiat load of people complaining about Moabi channel drunks don't be surprised if they stick a nice check point in there and hopefully bust all the idiot drunk drivers leaving the area impaired...

 

[79 HUSTLER]

Drove through around six on saturday and there was plenty of law enforcement on Seadoo's and boats, had a LEO on seadoo come along side us and give us a wave and we kept on trucking. Lots of boats on near the shore but they waved us through. :headscratch:

Did see a group of boats come park in moabi around five and they were explaining to others how two other boats in there group got popped for DUI's.

 

[Ultra26 # 1]

Had a few of the Moabi residents get pulled into the check point...most stated right off "we are not going to put our boat on the rocks" the officer on the water said don't worry they will hold your boat a float...

Three sets of people I talked to got checked...all took less than 5 minutes total for each boat...very friendly officers, very professional, very polite, joked around, never let any of the 3 boats come close to the rocks or river floor..checked for gear even found a violation on one of my buddy's boats and said he was not going to give a ticket just get it fixed before your next trip...

My buddy asked why don't you set up right outside the channel mouth at Moabi to catch all the drink drivers and he said WE would love to but he pointed to his AZ LEO patch and said we are AZ officers and that in Cali....From what we understood the check points were in AZ and not Cali backed more than likely because they are BROKE....

With a shiat load of people complaining about Moabi channel drunks don't be surprised if they stick a nice check point in there and hopefully bust all the idiot drunk drivers leaving the area impaired...

I haven't heard of anyone complaining of getting abused. From your post it seems like it went OK. It was all good on Friday.

 

[HBCraig]

My buddy got stopped. He had one beer at roughly 3PM yesterday then rolled up river. He blew a 0.01 and they let him by.

So what exactly happens if they check your safety stuff and all is good then they ask for you to blow into the breathalizer and you say no. What exactly happens?

 

[Blow It Up]

Give you one guess!

 

[RiverDave]

Give you one guess!

They say "have a nice day?"

RD

 

[IN AWE]

Are they pulling southbound boats into the checkpoint?

Last two times I went thru it was only northbound boats. This makes no sense since Pirates has been built.

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