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Police stop 23 Boulder-bound drivers on U.S. 36 at drug checkpoint
By Joe Rubino and Cory Lamz Camera Staff Writers
Posted: 06/13/2012 09:48:19 PM MDT
Updated: 06/13/2012 09:49:24 PM MDT
Westminster police stopped 23 cars and made one arrest at a high-profile drug checkpoint in the Boulder-bound lanes of U.S. 36 on Tuesday night.
The cars were stopped for traffic violations between 7 p.m. and 12:30 a.m. near the Church Ranch Boulevard exit, Westminster police investigator Trevor Materasso said.
Of the 23 stopped, it's unclear how many were searched for drugs, but three traffic tickets were issued, and one man was arrested on suspicion of felony marijuana possession, Materasso said.
A person must possess at least 12 ounces of dried marijuana to be charged with a felony in Colorado, according to state statutes.
"I think it's a key public safety resource and tool to do drug interdiction," Materasso said. "The interstate and highway systems are recognized as conduits that allow large-scale (drug) trafficking through Westminster the Denver metro area."
Ari and Jennifer Armstrong were heading home to Westminster around 9:40 p.m. Tuesday when they saw the drug checkpoint and two civilian cars pulled over on the shoulder of the highway.
"They had orange cones flagged out for those cars," Jennifer Armstrong said in an email. "The trunks and doors were all open, so they were obviously doing a search."
She and her husband saw more cars being searched on Church Ranch Boulevard.
Mark Silverstein, legal director for the American Civil Liberties Union of Colorado, urges drivers to be aware of their civil rights during a traffic stop.
"One of the disappointing facts about the state of people's awareness of civil liberties is many, many, many people don't know they have the right to say 'no' to a search," he said. "If a cop stops you and says, 'Mind if I look in your trunk?' it's your choice."
A bill passed in 2011 makes it the legal obligation of a police officer to tell people they have the right to deny a voluntary search, Silverstein said.
Materasso said Westminster officers, about 12 of whom participated in the checkpoint, follow legal guidelines when performing vehicle searches.
"Initial contact is made through a lawful traffic contact for some identified violation, and the drug interdiction is based on additional probable cause that would indicate to officers that there would be some kind of narcotic in the vehicle," he said. "Officers are always allowed to ask for voluntary consent if the driver will allow the search, and the driver has the option to say 'no.'"
It was the second time a drug checkpoint has been enforced by the Westminster Police Department in the past year. The last one was in August 2011 on Interstate 25 near the 144th Avenue exit.
By Joe Rubino and Cory Lamz Camera Staff Writers
Posted: 06/13/2012 09:48:19 PM MDT
Updated: 06/13/2012 09:49:24 PM MDT
Westminster police stopped 23 cars and made one arrest at a high-profile drug checkpoint in the Boulder-bound lanes of U.S. 36 on Tuesday night.
The cars were stopped for traffic violations between 7 p.m. and 12:30 a.m. near the Church Ranch Boulevard exit, Westminster police investigator Trevor Materasso said.
Of the 23 stopped, it's unclear how many were searched for drugs, but three traffic tickets were issued, and one man was arrested on suspicion of felony marijuana possession, Materasso said.
A person must possess at least 12 ounces of dried marijuana to be charged with a felony in Colorado, according to state statutes.
"I think it's a key public safety resource and tool to do drug interdiction," Materasso said. "The interstate and highway systems are recognized as conduits that allow large-scale (drug) trafficking through Westminster the Denver metro area."
Ari and Jennifer Armstrong were heading home to Westminster around 9:40 p.m. Tuesday when they saw the drug checkpoint and two civilian cars pulled over on the shoulder of the highway.
"They had orange cones flagged out for those cars," Jennifer Armstrong said in an email. "The trunks and doors were all open, so they were obviously doing a search."
She and her husband saw more cars being searched on Church Ranch Boulevard.
Mark Silverstein, legal director for the American Civil Liberties Union of Colorado, urges drivers to be aware of their civil rights during a traffic stop.
"One of the disappointing facts about the state of people's awareness of civil liberties is many, many, many people don't know they have the right to say 'no' to a search," he said. "If a cop stops you and says, 'Mind if I look in your trunk?' it's your choice."
A bill passed in 2011 makes it the legal obligation of a police officer to tell people they have the right to deny a voluntary search, Silverstein said.
Materasso said Westminster officers, about 12 of whom participated in the checkpoint, follow legal guidelines when performing vehicle searches.
"Initial contact is made through a lawful traffic contact for some identified violation, and the drug interdiction is based on additional probable cause that would indicate to officers that there would be some kind of narcotic in the vehicle," he said. "Officers are always allowed to ask for voluntary consent if the driver will allow the search, and the driver has the option to say 'no.'"
It was the second time a drug checkpoint has been enforced by the Westminster Police Department in the past year. The last one was in August 2011 on Interstate 25 near the 144th Avenue exit.
