Local law enforcement plan to use a new tactic for suspected drunk drivers who refuse to take a breath test.
Police will be blanketing the roads this weekend looking to get tough on drunk drivers and they won’t be taking “no” for an answer from suspected impaired motorists.
The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office announced last week that during the drunk driving saturation patrol taking place on roads all across Palm Beach County, deputies will be seeking warrants to compel blood tests from suspected drunken drivers who refuse to take a breath test.
Will a court uphold the right of police to draw blood or is unlawful? I don’t know and won’t harbor a guess as to how an appeals court will rule.
What I write below is assuming the blood test is done at the DUI checkpoint.
What concerns me about the news- How well trained are the law enforcement people in the drawing of blood? There is no certification needed for phlebotomists in Florida, but before going to work in this profession they do 4 to 6 weeks of training at a vocational school or community college.
Finding a place to do a proper arterial venous collection is often difficult. During all the medical work I had in the last 18 months, I had 3 separate instances of people who had trouble drawing blood from me. Law enforcement will run into men and women whose bodies are tough to draw blood from. There is always risk of infectious disease spreading if a person drawing a blood sample should accidentally stick themselves after drawing blood from someone who is HIV positive.
I just hope these people are properly trained, but if problems are encountered because training was done half assed, I wouldn’t be surprised. Florida law enforcement always has me expecting the worst.
Update- It was on this evening’s news. They may be using paramedics.
