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Return of checkpoints nets an array of violations in Charleston

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Working in conjunction with the Governor’s Highway Safety Program, the Charleston Police Department is now running roadblocks to check for sobriety, seat belt and child safety seat usage. The road safety checkpoints had been mothballed for the past couple of years due to the pandemic, but they are proving to be a magnet for violators.

Last week during a check point for car seats and safety belts on Charleston’s Garrison Avenue and Pacific Drive police issued a number of citations and made several arrests.  There was a particularly high number of  people found who were wanted for outstanding warrants.

“When they come through and if they’re not wearing a seat belt, we run their drivers license and it will reflect if they have any outstanding warrants. It’s just sort of luck we would run into them,” said Sgt. Kevin Oldham, Commander of the Charleston city police traffic division. Those who are charged with traffic violations can be represented legally by a traffic attorney.

The department has another check point tonight on 7th Avenue and have announced plans for another one this week back on Garrison Avenue. The selection of which streets to stage a road block is dictated by a number of factors. Size is a consideration since there are minimum standards for where one can be set up, but Oldham added they are designed to create high police visibility in problem areas.

“There’s stated code as to how these are set up, and some of them are strategically picked, but some are just places we use all the time,” he said.

Part of the setup requires an opportunity to turn as you are about to enter the checkpoint zone. However, turning to avoid the checkpoint after that turn constitutes a violation and will often result in an officer tracking you down for a traffic stop. Oldham said trying to avoid the road block isn’t wise.

“It’s funny, sometimes you’ll think it’s something serious, but they’ll do that and it may be something as simple as they didn’t have their license or their license was suspended. If they had just come on through the checkpoint, they might not have even been caught,” he laughed.





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