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 Pinecrest
police officers Paul Rivera and Mark Moretti were honored recently by
Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) for their commitment to DUI
apprehension and prosecution. Between the two officers, they made 100
DUI arrests last year. Officer Moretti, who usually works the night
shift, was responsible for 80 of those cases. Those numbers floored
me. The thought that if one officer is making more than one DUI arrest
a week in our little community struck me as something seriously wrong.
This prompted me to call the records department of the Pinecrest
police department for the total DUI arrests for the year.
I was further intrigued when I learned that the department total for
DUI arrests from 1998-2000 is 140. I then spoke to Lieutenant Peter
Skumanich regarding the disparity in numbers. There are several
factors that helped explain how one officer can accumulate such an
impressive number of DUI arrests.
Pinecrest's police department only has a few officers certified in DUI
(Driving Under Influence) and DRE (Drug Recognition Expert). If an
uncertified officer stops someone that he or she suspects may be under
the influence of alcohol or drugs, the officer would then request
assistance from a certified officer to perform the Breathalyzer test
or other appropriate tests, and to be the arresting officer.
However, it is my understanding that officer Moretti has been able to
attain his impressive arrest numbers because he primarily works the
night shift and keeps a close eye on patrons leaving Pinecrest's local
nightspots. It's impossible to calculate the number of lives that
these officers have saved. Keep up the good work!
Sadly, this leads me to the high profile accidental death of Helen
Witty, a teenager from Pinecrest who was killed by another teenager
who made two horrible decisions on that fateful day in early June. Not
only did Carla Wagner allegedly drink alcohol and use drugs, but she
compounded those bad deeds by getting in the driver's seat of a car.
However, prior to the release of the blood test results, the Miami
Herald reported that the use of a cellular phone was the reason Wagner
veered off the road. I was not surprised at how many people wrote
letters to the Miami Herald calling for a ban on the use of cellular
phones by drivers. There seems to be a growing sentiment against cell
phones.
As with alcohol, cell phones are not necessarily the problem. It is
the misuse and abuse of them that creates an issue. A recent Harvard
study concludes that the odds of a being killed by a driver using a
cell phone are 1.5 in one-million annually, which is about one-twelfth
of the risk of being killed in a crash with a large truck or with a
sober driver not using a cell phone.
I recently returned from Brazil, where they have banned cell phone use
by drivers. Like many European countries where cell phone use by
drivers has also been banned, it makes sense. Cars in those countries
are predominately stick shift, which leaves no way to safely drive and
talk on a cell phone. Studies also show that cell phone users have
saved many lives by calling in accidents and calling the police when
they spot a drunk driver. Should we be so quick to blame cell phones
when in many situations bad judgment and bad choices cause the peril?
One last thought on the tragedy of one promising life lost and another
forever altered. This is the second case in recent memory where I have
heard that a local teenager faces a lengthy minimum mandatory sentence
for manslaughter in a DUI case. And, I am struggling with the
implication of putting someone so young in jail for many years.
Those of us who are parents of teenagers must never tire of reminding
this impulsive and self-absorbed age group of how the decisions they
make today can forever impact their lives and those of others.
I can be reached at 305-666-7969 or via fax, 305-666-8487.
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