Virginia police officers are now using a “ghost” car to try to increase DUI arrests in Chesterfield County, Virginia.
The Gordon Law Firm, PC did not come up with the corny name for the car – the police did. According to them, the new vehicle in Chesterville County is known as the “DUI Ghost.”
The new police cruisers have graphics and decals that only reflect when illuminated at night. During the day, the markings are barely visible. The police claim that impaired and distracted drivers may have a harder time spotting the cruisers and identifying them as police vehicles.
The vehicle was showcased at a Mothers Against Drunk Driving fundraiser on April 20, 2019.
The Chesterfield County Police Department will give their top two DUI enforcers the keys to the new “ghost” cruisers. These Officers, who lead in total DUI arrests, will be selected to receive the special “ghost” cruisers on a bi-annual basis. “This is our way to incentivize and reward those officers that are really dedicated towards detecting and arresting drunk drivers,” Chesterfield police Maj. David Shand said.
Alex Gordon and Carlos Wall, Virginia DUI attorneys at The Gordon Law Firm, PC, see a problem with incentivizing DUI arrests. Gordon believes that it encourages officers to make arrests in cases that might not be justified by the legal standard of probable cause. “Police departments are sending the wrong message if officers get rewarded for making simply making DUI arrests, without taking into consideration penalizing officers for DUI trials that were lost in court because of bad police work.”
The Gordon Law Firm, PC has helped hundreds of clients accused of DUI and DWI in Virginia. Many of our clients should never have been arrested or even charged with a crime. In many cases, overzealous officers rely upon outdated and unproven tests and their “hunches” when making the decision to arrest. These officers should not need to be rewarded for their bad decisions. A DUI arrest in Virginia can have devastating personal and economic consequences for the unlucky driver that crossed the path of an officer looking for a reward for making another DUI arrest.
If you or a friend has been arrested in Loudoun County, Prince William County, Alexandria, Arlington, Falls Church, or Fairfax County on DUI charges, please feel welcome to contact The Gordon Law Firm, PC for a free consultation. We can be reached at 703.218.8416 or at thegordonlawfirm@gmail.com.