The Crossville Police Department will be conducting Sobriety Checkpoints and Saturations throughout the Crossville area tonight from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. The CPD will concentrate their efforts on Peavine Rd, Hwy 127, Hwy 70, Lantana Rd. and Genesis Rd in the Crossville area.

Many question why checkpoints are publicized if the law is wanting to ‘catch’ DUI drivers – who could avoid the checkpoints if they knew when and where they are set up.  Well it’s a matter of law.   In 1990, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the validity of sobriety checkpoints in Michigan v. Sitz, even though the law generally forbids law enforcement officers from stopping drivers unless there is a suspicion that the drivers have violated the law. In the Michigan v. Sitz case, the Court found that the intrusion and inconvenience  to individuals who are stopped is outweighed by the government’s interest in curbing drunk driving as long as the checkpoints are publicized beforehand. The Court opined that a person’s fourth admendment right was not being violated if they are made aware of the checkpoints ahead of time.