" Yes, it was really worth delaying several thousand drivers on the day before Thanksgiving to catch one guy with less than an ounce of marijuana, a couple of open containers, and eight seat belt violations. Moreover, the checkpoint was signposted before the Highway 33 exit, meaning that anyone who was in any serious criminal jeopardy could exit and get to Lincoln through Roca. "

" ...always with the negative vibes. "

" I have been stopped in one of those check points and I was only delayed maybe 2 minutes.

Don't you think getting a drunk off the road is worthwhile or even getting a couple of people who have concealed weapons who may have been on the way to do some serious harm worthwhile?

Now, I am willing like most people to be delayed a short time if it makes the roads safer by getting some dangerous people off the road. "

" It was worth it just to get the DWI's off the road before they killed someone. "

" Amen to Freckles. Thank God for men and women in uniform making our roads safer. Even if that means the people following the law, like myself, are delayed a couple of minutes. Thank you Deputies! "

" Give the Lincoln Police Department the money if you want to see some real arrest numbers!!! This would be a slow night for one area of Lincoln. LPD should get the money because they always produce and get a lot of DWI's off the road without any grant money. "

" I kind of see this the same way as when you travel through the airport checkpoints. There is no price on safety!! I'm willing to be delayed a few moments if it means getting some DWI's off the roads. Thanks to the officers who conducted these stops. "

" Usually when they give you warning of checkpoints, they also have some people hidden to watch for people avoiding them (turning off at Highway 33) and stop them if they give them some PC (usually do). The ones who try to avoid the checkpoints are usually the ones with something to hide. "

" is it worth giving up the concept of probable cause and allowing the police to randomly search citizens, our homes, cars, etc. just because? Is this what our ancestors fought and died for? "

" So the Nebraska Office of Highway Safety funded the overtime.
Who funds the Nebraska Office of Highway Safety?
Why don't they just tell us that the Nebraska taxpayer is funding all this needless overtime? Monies that could be used to fight real crime, or perhaps hire additional officers working at straight time rates. "

" Not Surprised is right about one thing. LPD does work hard and they get great arrests! Unfortunately, what appears to have been an attempt at praise was overshadowed by the snide comments. So sad! No doubt, if LPD applied for the grant funding, they would have (and may have) received funding as well to do the same great work that LSO was doing that night. Thank you to LSO, LPD, NSP, and UNLPD for the work you do in keeping our streets and highways safe. Also, thanks to the Nebraska Office of Highway Safety for the grants that provide funding to help our area police departments be able to provide this valuable service. "

" Talk about politics-LPD is not that great about getting things done, they don't do anything but hide out in U-Stop on 27th and Pine Lake. "

" I think all the negative comments came from people driving through Roca. "

" For 428 cars stopped and those violations, it is quite simply a waste of resources. They should use the money to deal with increased staffing and patrolling of the city.
And I like how we are such a society of fear; concealed guns could mean a shooting, DWI's could/will kill somebody, marijuana, etc.
Yet this last football game I can confidently say there was 100's of seriously impaired drivers that were one eyeing it on the way home. Why not have a stop/check point then? Or set up "click it or ticket" stops on Highway 2 between 12 and 2.
So Kudo's, no. If you want the drunk drivers then do it in places and at times you will catch them (27th, 48th, Cornhusker, Highway 2) and quit playing around. "

" The numbers don't add up to me, either.

Maybe they should just pull over any one they want at any time and give them cavity searches just for fun.

I mean, it's all in the name of safety, right? "

" Twelve percent of the vehicles' adults were noncompliant, it seems. That's pretty high. Among all the warnings, arrests, etc. they total 58. I see that as a potential 58 lives saved, if these people learn their lesson and don't risk another citation by their negligent behavior. "

" I agree with Gerard and 'Waste of Dollars'. While I am glad to see them catch people for DWI, driving during suspension, and open container...people are completely missing the issue on this particular checkpoint. It was a seat-belt checkpoint...they were looking for people not wearing their seat belts. Personally, I believe the use of a seat belt should be a personal choice, and remain a secondary offense...but that's still not the point. Most of the commenters here are praising the officers for catching the drunks and the unlicensed drivers...but that's not who they were after, and THOSE are the people they SHOULD be after.

What makes you feel safer...knowing that 8 people were ticketed for not wearing their seat belts, or knowing that 1 drunk driver was taken off the road? I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm a heck of a lot more worried about the drunk than I am about the others. As such, I'd rather see police spending their time seeking out the drunks and taking them off the road, as opposed to the seat belt violators. And because we know where most of the drunks are likely to travel, checkpoints should be set up on THOSE routes instead, in order to catch the REAL dangers on the road.

I also find it puzzling that so many people complain about Bush's wiretaps as a violation of their 4th Amendment rights...but when it comes to a police checkpoint where they tear through your vehicle...an ACTUAL SEARCH...the same people barely even bat an eye. Honestly people, if they can do this at a checkpoint, they can do it ANYTIME, all in the name of 'probable cause'...in which case the officer says "I smell something..." and proceeds to rifle through your belongings, and leave you to clean up the mess. "

" How do you find concealed weapons during a traffic stop? "

" 58 lives potentially saved? That sounds light.
I mean each of those 58 violations (vehicle defects, possession of marijuana, open container) would almost certainly result in the vehicle running into an 8 passanger van (or larger) and both exploding into flames taking out each and every individual. That's eight in the van plus an average of six people in the cited vehicle. That's not even counting the almost certain deaths of at least one firefighter for each death trap accident, plus one innocent bystander. That comes to 1,160 lives saved!
Or am I overestimating? "

" I have to agree with those who find these searches, which are without probbible cause, as very very troubling to any who have actually read the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. This being Nebraska, I'm guessing that number of people is low. "

" for those of you complaining...what if that Intoxicated driver killed your son/daughter..parent...friend while coming to your house for Thanksgiving...or your family member was shot by the weapons confiscated.....hmmmm....bet youd shut up then huh? "

" Oh, geez. Do you guys just read headlines and then spew your uninformed opinions?
Click It or Ticket has been around for awhile. It's a grant. Grants pay for officers, extra or otherwise, to perform a check/stop at a point to check for seat belt use. In performing this check, these additional crimes were found to have been committed. They weren't the point of the grant. How can so many people read the same article and have so much negative criticism?? "

" This was an attempt to raise awareness of using seat belts and child restraints? I think we all are aware of seatbelts in our vehicles, I guess these “Stormtroopers” just wanted to press the fact that they can punish us for not choosing to use them. I use my belts every time I drive but I don’t think it should be mandatory to do so. It’s upsetting to a lot of us that these “Soldier Blues” can set up these roadblocks and invade our space just because some lobbyist or club put up some cash so they could line these officer’s pockets outside their normal responsibility of protecting and serving. I do appreciate what these public servants do for us but I do not like “Big Brother” rubbing my nose in his or her power. "

" Your comment is right on about stopping people after a husker game. But they wouldn't do that. Husker fans are untouchable. Can you imagine the scandal and the phone calls if the police started stopping fans on the way home from the game?!? "

" Kristine - Yes it is a grant. From the Nebraska Office of Highway Safety, which is a part of the Nebraska DMV, which is a govt/state agency. We taxpayers still paid for it. Sort of like the movie "Brazil" where prisoners were tortured and then billed for it, only now it's simply taking away my 4th amendment rights then billing me for it. Thanks, Lancaster County! "

" many people who are ok with being pulled over for not being able to make your own decisions. I hope you people don't eat fatty foods because sooner or later the gov't is going to take that right away from you too! Get use to being TOLD what to do and not being able to make your own decisions. And for the people who say "but they save lives", well yes they do(duh) but do a search on how many people die even wearing them and get back to me. The point is if you lay down and continue to give up your civil liberties we will become a country of sheep. I wear my seatbelt everyday(im not stupid) but I don't need to be pulled over to see if I am doing so. "

" See the difference among the comments, and you'll have a ready definition of a person who sees the cup half full and one who sees it half empty - a person who is thankful for blessings, as compared to a person who dwells on what's missing. All kinds of outlooks on life, but some cause more stress and unhappiness than others, and to see the brighter side, all one must do is conduct an attitude check (no taxes involved.) "