Drug Checkpoints in Missouri

Have you ever been driving on a Missouri interstate at night and come across a flashing sign that read "drug checkpoint ahead"?  If you kept going, you were probably wondering why you never saw the checkpoint anywhere.  If you exited the interstate at the nearest exit ramp you were probably pulled over and asked if the police could search your car.

Drug Checkpoints Have Been Found Unconstitutional

Random drug checkpoints in Missouri have been found unconstitutional (as of the date of this article) by the courts because they are seen as merely "fishing" for criminal activity.  So, how has law enforcement gotten around this?

The Real Purpose for Police

They put up signs warning about drug checkpoints up ahead and observe motorist’s reactions to them. Typically, the signs are strategically placed near an exit ramp that does not receive much traffic. Usually an officer is watching this exit ramp from a distance to see if any motorists quickly exit the interstate after seeing the sign.  Once a vehicle is spotted exiting the interstate using the ramp near the checkpoint warning sign, the officer will look for any minor traffic violation (i.e. failing to signal, rolling through the stop sign etc.) and radio ahead to a waiting patrol car to pull the vehicle over . 

Once the vehicle is stopped, one officer will question the driver while another will take a drug dog around the vehicle to see if it will give an alert.  If so, the officers will then conduct a search of the vehicle for controlled substances.  If you have been charged with a drug crime or would like more information about drug crimes in Missouri check out my website.