CHECKPOINT YIELDS MORE THAN A DOZEN DRUG CHARGES

BRIDGETON- A weekend checkpoint set up to test sobriety caught more
than drunken drivers. Officers also found cocaine and marijuana and
made at least 15 drug charges.

The Bridgeton Police Department was the host for the multi-agency
sobriety checkpoint, which was held Friday night and early Saturday
morning near the intersection of U.S. 17 and N.C. 55. Numbers were
still being tallied Saturday, but more than 100 citations were issued
during the four-hour checkpoint.

"It was very successful," said Deputy Chief Chip Hughes. "I don't
think any of us expected that many drugs. We made at least 15 drug
charges, and four of those were felony charges."

He said officers confiscated a half-ounce of powdered cocaine, some
crack rocks, and "lots of" marijuana during various stops at the
checkpoint. They seized $3,500 in cash.

"Well, Highway 17 is a known drug route, and we definitely saw that
during the night," he said.

Five people were charged with driving while impaired. "First and
foremost, we're looking to remove drunk drivers from the road whenever
we do these," Hughes said. "They are one of the leading causes of
accidents, so anytime we get them off the road, it means somebody else
is staying safe."

Hughes said officers issued at least 45 warning tickets. During the
night, he said they saw everything from drugs to just-expired vehicle
registrations.

Several other agencies participated in the checkpoint, including the
N.C. Highway Patrol, the N.C. Alcohol Law Enforcement Division, the
Jones County Sheriff's Office, and police from New Bern, Trent Woods
and Oriental. "It just reminds the public that we are out here in full
force and making a good-faith effort to find the people who are doing
wrong and making motorists unsafe," said Sgt. R.G. Willis with the
State Highway Patrol. Willis said it also gives officers a chance to
educate drivers about frequently misunderstood requirements, like the
state's "move over" law or the updated car-inspection process.

"It would be great to do one of these and not give out a single
ticket," Hughes said. "But we don't live in that kind of world anymore."