OFFICERS HALT VEHICLES, CHECK FOR DRUGS ON I-94

5 Counties Involved In Still-secretive Highway Safety
Initiative

A drug checkpoint on Interstate 94 in southern Milwaukee County
singled out northbound vehicles for searches for several hours
Thursday, law enforcement officials confirmed.

"Drug check point ahead . . . traffic may slow," an electronic message
board near W. College Ave. warned motorists approaching the checkpoint
zone for much of the afternoon. A string of cars was pulled over
between W. Ryan Road and W. Holt Ave. about 3:45 p.m.

Law enforcement officials were extremely short on specifics; none of
them allowed their names to be used. Several officers referred to the
checkpoint as a "traffic safety initiative."

A lieutenant from one southeastern Wisconsin sheriff's department put
it this way, however: "We're looking for cars that obviously fit a
profile, and we're looking to see if we can find anyone (with drugs)."

Officials in the Milwaukee, Racine and Ozaukee counties' sheriff's
departments confirmed that five counties in southeastern Wisconsin
have joined forces in the highway safety effort. The other two
counties involved are Waukesha and Kenosha.

The lieutenant said checkpoints have been put up on freeways and at
Mitchell International Airport, though he declined to say for how long.

While Thursday's checkpoint was restricted to Milwaukee County,
officials confirmed that other checkpoints ultimately will be set up
in each of the five counties.

"We are involved in a collaborative effort with four other counties in
southeastern Wisconsin . . . over many different issues," said another
lieutenant. "Drug interdiction and highway safety happen to be a
couple of those issues, but that's only part of the issues that we're
concerned with."

A news conference is scheduled for Tuesday in Kenosha County to
discuss the effort in greater detail.

"We have agreed not to talk about it," said a captain. "It's not our
usual way of doing things, but apparently they have something special
in mind. They want to get all the sheriffs together after they've done
it a couple times."