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FL Police continue crack down on drunk drivers |
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Wednesday, 09 April 2008 |
Cliff Buchan
News Editor
The number of motorists who have been tagged for driving while intoxicated continues to mount in Forest Lake.
With March and the first three months of 2008 in books, police in Forest Lake have issued 39 tickets for driving while intoxicated or driving while impaired, Chief Clark Quiring said this week.
That compares to 18 tickets for the same offenses during the first three months of 2007, he said.
In the first days of April, city officers have handed out four additional DWI tickets. And early Tuesday, city officers assisted the Minnesota State Patrol with a DWI arrest on TH-97 east of I-35. That ticket followed a report by an off-duty trooper that a vehicle had gone off the road into the ditch.
Quiring said the growing number of DWI arrests was the result of steady enforcement, officers being in the right place at the right time and individuals who are consuming too much alcohol and driving.
1st city hearing
For the first time since the city of Forest Lake adopted a series of administrative fines, three hearings took place on Tuesday.
Under the new city ordinance, a number of minor traffic violations have been rolled into an administrative enforcement category that does not require an appearance in district court or traffic court. Violators tagged with administrative fines have the option of requesting a hearing with a city-appointed hearing officer.
Former Councilman John Tom Lynch was tabbed for the duty and heard his first three contested cases on Tuesday. All involved tickets for violation of the city’s 2-6 a.m. overnight parking ban.
Violators have the option of paying the city council-set $35 fine or going before the hearing officer. The hearing officer can find the person guilty, reduce the fine or dismiss the case.
A person convicted under the administrative system has the final option of appealing the matter to district court.
One of the cases heard on Tuesday involved a city resident with eight cars in the family and only room to park six off-street.
3 arrested
Three people from St. Paul were arrested on April 3 after city officers stopped a car on SW 12th St. for making an illegal lane change. In making the stop, police recovered items stolen from two Wal-Mart stores, including the Forest Lake store, police said.
The driver, Elizabeth J. Casillas-Navarro, 27, was ticketed for driving after revocation of license and for theft. Two passengers were also ticketed.
Carlos Mendoza Cleveland, 28, was ticketed for theft and was held on three outstanding warrants. Rose A. Brozek, 26, was also ticketed for theft.
Car torched
Police in Forest Lake and Anoka County continue to probe the arson of a car that was found in Linwood Township early Monday morning. The car, a Chevrolet Impala, was found burned at Jordell and NE 197th St. by county deputies.
The car was registered to owners who lived at 21725 Imperial Ave. N. in Forest Lake
When Forest Lake police went to the home, they found a for sale sign in the yard and the house vacant. Police have received no stolen auto reports on the vehicle destroyed by fire.
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