Tempe Police have adopted an increasingly strong stance against impaired driving. With the new Operation Safe and Sober, we've seen a rise in stops, arrests and citations.
According to the Phoenix New Times, Tempe Police made more than 1,400 stops as of Aug. 22 as part of Operation Safe and Sober. The police department reported 486 arrests and 919 citations within the first three days of the new operation.
Cracking down on DUIs is obviously a good thing and helps to make our streets safer, but there has apparently been a rise in plainclothes police officers making traffic stops in unmarked vehicles with few of the distinguishing features usually found on police cars. These include minivans and unmarked four-door sedans that are not the usual Crown Victoria models.
Given that Tempe is a hotbed for predatory activity — kidnappings, sexual assaults, etc. — as well as generalized drunken antics, it makes sense to have an increased police presence. But when undercover police officers are even more casual or incognito, it's a little creepy.
We've all heard stories of people dressing up a car with fake police lights and pulling people off the road in unlit areas with less-than-honorable intentions.
There are certain things we can do to feel more comfortable if we're being stopped on the road. For instance, it's prudent to make sure you are in a relatively safe place when you pull over. You can ask to see the police officer's identification and badge to ensure that you are in fact dealing with an actual police officer and not an impostor.
"Going undercover" is obviously not a new tactic, but students usually aren't necessarily pros at determining whether an official-looking badge is indeed official.
One of the major tenets of the Society of Professional Journalists' Code of Ethics stipulates that journalists be candid and not misrepresent themselves in any of their dealings with the public. Being clear about motives and intentions is of utmost importance.
Is going undercover truly necessary to enforce laws against drinking and driving? Tempe is a prime spot for creepers and generally shady activity. Being pulled over, whether you are in violation of the law or merely are suspected of violating the law, is a scary thing. We may not be thinking everything through in the moment, leading to rash and possibly dangerous decisions.
It's almost deceitful to use a vehicle that for all intents and purposes is a civilian car. Curtailing DUIs and other traffic violations is an important way to keep the ASU community safe, but does that require working undercover?
In the wake of blatant abuses of police power evident in New York City's "Stop and Frisk" program, which was ruled unconstitutional in federal court, it's not a huge stretch of the imagination to be concerned about the accountability of plainclothes and plain cars.
A little transparency goes a long way.
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