FL Law Enforcement Officials Host Booze & Doritos Party for Employees…to Test New Breathalyzer
- Posted on January 19, 2012 at 9:22pm by
Billy Hallowell
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Typically, employers discourage inebriation in the workplace. But in this case, Florida law enforcement officials actually paid for employees to get drunk. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (the state’s version of the FBI) apparently shelled out $330 on Jim Beam whiskey, booze and Doritos back in October.
Photo Credit: Mail Online
Now, before you get too frustrated, you should know that reports claim the fiesta was thrown in an effort to test out the reliability of an alcohol breathalyzer machine (even with that description some of you may still be frustrated — especially after you read the read of the story). In sum, 15 employees attended the shindig to test out the Intoxilyzer 8000, a tool that has come under fire as being unreliable.
The group, which included crime analysts, staff assistants and police officers consumed the alcohol, was recorded as members blew into three of the units. Additionally, they had their blood drawn and sent to a lab. The Herald Tribune:
The $8,000 study, put together in three days, was part of a broader push to save the reputation of the embattled Intoxilyzer 8000, FDLE records show. And in December, FDLE’s alcohol testing guru Laura Barfield came to a Sarasota County courtroom for a hearing and presented results of the drunken employee experiment to a panel of judges, saying it proved the machines were accurate.
But the study might not even be worth the $330 bar bill.
At the hearing, judges deciding the fate of the machine in Sarasota and Manatee counties seemed skeptical of even considering the study, in part because bloodwork was still at the lab and the examination was not yet finalized.
But since the test was done with such a small group of people — and only one time — at least one biostatistics consultant said that it may not be scientific enough to rely upon. In the end, it seems the jury is still out on the matter.
(H/T: Mail Online)
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Comments (68)
Tickdog
Posted on January 20, 2012 at 8:38amshould be a good fun test!
Report Post »homeyd77
Posted on January 20, 2012 at 8:51amWhat do they do when they have to test the accuracy of a machine that detects pot use?
Report Post »Secret Squirrel
Posted on January 21, 2012 at 8:56am.
Report Post »$330? I can’t get too mad.
If it was Obama, it would have been
$330 billion, and the machine wouldn’t work.
run4thehills
Posted on January 20, 2012 at 2:05amGreen Energy would have stopped it all. Lets bow our collective heads, and pray to Obama. Our goverenment is our savior.
Report Post »garbagecanlogic
Posted on January 20, 2012 at 1:28amGot news for you, this is standard procedure for law enforcement. The provide the booze from secured busts, then they drive the testers home. Provides “real time” training. Can’t beat it.
The U.S. Out Of The U.N.
Report Post »The U.N. Out Of The U.S.
TaraR42
Posted on January 20, 2012 at 5:00amThis is a common practice throughout the country it is how they train officers and test new equipment
Report Post »southernORcobra
Posted on January 20, 2012 at 8:12amsame way the train officers with mace and pepper spray and tear gas.
Report Post »StraightEdge3
Posted on January 20, 2012 at 9:25amTo answer the question about being sprayed with pepper spray, Yes, I have been sprayed with CN, CS and OC spray as well as tasered. Some officers (not me) have been shot with the bean bag shotgun also. So, yes, we get it too!
Report Post »Brooke Lorren
Posted on January 20, 2012 at 1:27pmI wouldn’t do very well at this party. I generally don’t drink, and get a buzz of 2 Tbsp of Nyquil (which I only take right before bed on the rare occasion that I am sick). One drink could leave me vomiting if I’m not careful.
I wonder if this was optional duty or if people could opt out of it if they weren’t drinkers?
Report Post »Karama
Posted on January 19, 2012 at 11:43pmI guess they had to make sure the device worked some how. You never know these days people sell all kinds of things they say does one thing but you get it home and boom nothing. Much like “free energy kits”.
Report Post »buffalo_14222
Posted on January 19, 2012 at 11:37pmHow is this news? sounds like a “news” article I’d see on ******* MSNBC.
Report Post »For all those who think this is a bad idea: Why ?
I guarantee they are doing this for a reason. At some point, some defense attorney has gotten their client off because the arresting officer hasn’t tested the accuracy of the BAC machine first hand, let alone test the SFTs skills on someone who’s BAC is known to be above the limit.
So, let‘s just say its a waist of tax payers money and they shouldn’t do this. and then let’s see you have a loved one killed or injured by a drunk driver, but wait the drunk driver has a attorney that gets them off because the arresting officer never tested the equipment. nice job, guess you got what you wanted
Lone Ranger
Posted on January 19, 2012 at 11:19pmIntoxilyzer 8000. Sounds like something Wiley Coyote would order from the Acme Company.
Report Post »The-Monk
Posted on January 19, 2012 at 11:36pm@Lone Ranger
Report Post »Looks like it too….
RightThinking1
Posted on January 19, 2012 at 11:06pmDarn! I always miss the fun. I am reminded of a segment of WKRP in Cincinnati, where Johnny Fever does an on-air spot with cop and breathalyzer, and his reactions get better with each drink.
Report Post »dontbotherme
Posted on January 19, 2012 at 11:23pmRightthinking1: That was the first thing I thought of too! It was hysterical! (I remember “Red Wigglers also…”). Great. Now that song will not get out of my head.
Report Post »Bluedog78
Posted on January 19, 2012 at 11:04pmThis agency should spend its time and money phasing out the intoxalizer and going to blood tests only. Much more accurate.
There are hundreds of agencies across the country that put on HGN training, and the last day of class is a “wet workshop.” Lots of cops and their spouses get liquored up on their day off so the students can perform the HGN test on them. They get rides home and flex the hours off on their next shift.
I’m not sure why this agency had to go to court on their machines but obviously it was an issue that needed to be heard by the court, but not having the blood test back in time for the hearing was dumb.
Report Post »goahead.makemyday
Posted on January 20, 2012 at 2:54pmThe thing is the officers in the field cannot perform a blood test. Besides, everybody knows that some defense attorneys attack everything and everyone in an attempt to get their paycheck.They should probably do more tests with different people to add more weigh to their findings though.
Report Post »MrMagoo
Posted on January 19, 2012 at 10:47pmAt least they chose quality American Bourbon,Jim Beam.But alcohol testing ‘guru’ Laura Barfield? :)
Report Post »trinklefinder
Posted on January 19, 2012 at 10:44pmWhat a rip! My work sends me to AA 6 times a week just because I had several positive BACs on several mornings, but the coppers get alcohol bought for them and get to get drunk AT work. I only went into work still drunk from the night before. Some folks have all the luck.
Report Post »Jenny Lind
Posted on January 19, 2012 at 10:41pmThat’s funny-but if the blood work comes back accurate the judge needs to add that to the “mix”.
Report Post »SgtB
Posted on January 19, 2012 at 10:25pmIt seems painfully obvious that these officers have no scientific ability or skill. If a breathalyzer company wants the cops to use their stuff and have taxpayers foot the bill… Then the company should pay for 3rd party testing and proving of the equipment. Also, they should have a re-certification schedule that requires the machine be calibrated by the factory and re-tested again.
Report Post »The-Monk
Posted on January 19, 2012 at 10:27pmExactly right SGTB…
Report Post »RichNGadsden
Posted on January 19, 2012 at 10:38pmThe state and local departments have the machines on hand and it is far cheaper to test, train, and maintain locally rather than shipping them back to the manufacturer. Then waiting for the turn around time. The officers who run these do so from hands on training. I’ve been out of law enforcement for just over ten years now and am not familiar with this system and by what means it is calibrated. Splitting into teams and drinking/testing on two different days is how this is normally done. And, how I have experienced their use since the mid ’70s.
Report Post »The-Monk
Posted on January 19, 2012 at 11:19pm@RichNGadsden
Report Post »As a past law enforcement officer have you ever seen another officer misuse these BAC devices to arrest someone for a DWI (DUI)? Example; Cop pulls someone over for a broken tail-light. Smells alcohol and the person passes a Field Sobriety Test but has said that they had 2 or 3 glasses of wine at a restaurant they just left. Cop takes them to the station, waits for the alcohol to hit and then has them blow into the machine after about 2 hours? Please be honest.
Bluedog78
Posted on January 20, 2012 at 2:16am@MONK, I arrest alot of DUI drivers, usually two or three a week. I‘ve smelled alcohol on alot of drivers that I’ve sent on their way after they passed the field tests, including HGN. I know that some people are being honest when they say that they’ve only had two drinks, but most people who say they’ve had two have had way more than that. As far as waiting on the test for a higher BAC, I‘ve never done it and I’ve never seen it done by other officers. Any semi competent defense attorney could figure that out and make the officer look bad, or have the case thrown out. Where I work, it takes about an hour to go though the tests, take them to the station, and wait for the phlebotomist to show up at the station. I pretty sure I’ve had blood results come back under the limit because of that hour delay, and I‘m sure that I’ve had some who came back just over because of it, its a two way street. I can also tell you that the average BAC from my cases is around .13.
As far as your incident with a DUI suspect being let go after crashing into you, I’d be pissed too and I would look into filing a complaint on that officer. I know that alot of patrol officers don‘t like doing DUI’s because its alot of paperwork, they don’t want to deal with defense attorneys, and they don‘t have confidence in their ability to detect if somebody is over the limit or not because they don’t do the investigations often enough.
Report Post »The-Monk
Posted on January 20, 2012 at 10:54pm@Bluedog78
“I’d be pissed too and I would look into filing a complaint on that officer”
Yeah, file a complaint against officer and face the big blue wall when I get into my car and drive in the same precinct. I’d be followed and pulled over every day if I did that. No, we citizens are too afraid to make any waves with law enforcement just like you might be afraid to take on the IRS. Sorry it took so long to get back to you. Thank you for being an “honest Police Officer”. As for me… I now carry an audio recording device just in case I get pulled over. CYA so to speak!
Report Post »Bluedog78
Posted on January 21, 2012 at 2:06pm@ MONK. Follow you and pull you over every day, give me a break, Don’t buy into that Hollywood BS, cops are more stressed about going to IA than to a hot call.
Report Post »LIBS-ARE-DINGLEHEADS
Posted on January 19, 2012 at 10:21pmThe FDLE: Crap!
Report Post »helicop
Posted on January 19, 2012 at 10:19pmThis is nothing new. When officers certify on intoxilyzers, they have to have people drinking to test. The machines today are so accurate that they can tell the difference between residual mouth alcohol, or even ambient alcohol in the air near the machine. It’s not like the old days when someone could swig some Dr. Tichners in their mouth as a test dummy and then blow in the machine. The new machines would just give an error and default the test.
In my jurisdiction, the big DUI attorneys pay the bill for the booze so the taxpayers don’t foot the bill for any of it. Afterall, they want more guys out there arresting folks so they can have them as future clients. Remember that the next time you hire an attorney. lol
Report Post »trinklefinder
Posted on January 19, 2012 at 10:46pmId do it for a half gallon of vodka. im pretty cheap. i can’t drink the entire half gallon in one night of course, but i could consume 1/3 of it easy.
Report Post »The-Monk
Posted on January 19, 2012 at 11:06pm“The machines today are so accurate that they can tell the difference between…”
Can they tell the difference between being pulled over at 10 PM, being taken to the station, told to sit down, having to touch your nose every 15 minutes until the alcohol hits you and finally being told to blow into a machine at 12:00 am or 1:00 am? If they want to get an accurate reading they should have the person blow ASAP. Get the drunks off the road and leave the persons that just had 2 or 3 glasses of wine for dinner at a restaurant and are only 3 or 4 miles away from home alone. (A friend of mine who I had dinner with who got a DWI after a 2 hour wait for the “test”).
Report Post »After being hit by a DWLS with knowledge, expired tags and no insurance, my car totaled, injuries to me, left the scene and have the cop let him walk because he was a CI left me with no good feelings for cops anymore. I don’t care what Glenn says. Cops are basically nasty people who remind me of our Government. If you know the right people you can get away with anything. If you are rich you can buy your way out of almost anything. If you are poor and don’t have any connections you are screwed.
Did you know that in Florida a cop can determine, using his own judgment, that you are impaired and qualify for a DWI at 0.02 BAC if he thinks you are also tired or you worked a double shift? It’s the law here now. Work a double shift, have one beer and try fighting a DWI at 0.02 in Florida. You better have lots of money
The-Monk
Posted on January 19, 2012 at 10:18pmAs a citizen of the USA and a resident of Florida I’m not allowed to pull over drunk public servants that are driving away from a police station after consuming alcohol for whatever reason they are drunk. Also, the police bought the alcohol, drank the alcohol in a police environment, did the tests in a police atmosphere, did the tests on police equipment, sent the results to a police lab and didn’t even have the results to show the Judges. Why the Doritos? Were they also high on pot?
Report Post »The Intoxilyzer 8000 looks like something Apple or IBM came up with back in the late 70′s as the first personal computers (PC’s).
YoungBloodNews
Posted on January 19, 2012 at 11:18pmMonk
You should check out GLP, Im am mostly there now as I tire of GBs shilling. If you change over let me know as Ill tell you my username. Take care bro.
Report Post »The-Monk
Posted on January 19, 2012 at 11:30pm@YoungBloodNews
Good to hear from you agai. What is GLP?
Did you read the other posts I just posted about the bad cops I’ve encountered? I used to have massive respect for them and now I need an operation because a cop let a DWLS with knowledge go free after totaling my car (and he was awaiting trial for another DWLS with knowledge when he hit me by the same police agency)!
Report Post »YoungBloodNews
Posted on January 19, 2012 at 11:36pmIve known of corrupt LEOs for awhile. Just goggle the latest mass NYC police ticket fixing scandal. As for GLP, its godlikeproductions, google it and look over the info. Yeah some is far fetched but at many times we are the tip of the spear (yeah Blaze has yet to talk about the latest rash of Anony hits and we were talking it long before drudge got word)…
Report Post »The-Monk
Posted on January 19, 2012 at 11:56pm@YoungBloodNews
Report Post »I’ll check into it. Thanks.
As for Anony… I was diong that back in 1999 to about 2003. I used to shut down any server or computer from anywheres on the planet that sent me a spam e-mail that had a virus attached. It was fun but I stopped doing it after I figured out I might get caught. These guys will end up in jail.
CatB
Posted on January 19, 2012 at 10:17pmI live on the border of Sarasota county .. .hope they did not drive home ;-)
Report Post »Detroit paperboy
Posted on January 19, 2012 at 10:13pmWAIT TIL, They test out their new drones and x- ray machines… ON US… 1984 baby
Report Post »V-MAN MACE
Posted on January 19, 2012 at 10:20pmThe neocon bootlickers who visit this website love when their overlords get new toys to use on them. It’s a sadistic, sexual, Stockholm Syndrome relationship.
Report Post »The-Monk
Posted on January 19, 2012 at 10:29pm@V-MAN MACE
Report Post »I don’t understand… don’t you visit this website?
Regdunlop
Posted on January 19, 2012 at 10:44pmV is just mad he wasnt invited. Plus I think he has probably been arrested more than once, which might explain his opinion of the PoPo.
Report Post »V-MAN MACE
Posted on January 20, 2012 at 1:40amThe-Monk
I’m not a neocon bootlicker. I’m a Conservative Libertarian firebrand. Heterosexual too. Won’t catch me at Bohemian Grove.
Regdunlop
You just fit the typical bootlicker profile when you use that weak, redundant argument that I must have had some negative experience with law enforcement or be a criminal in order to have a negative opinion about the actions of police and the police institution as a whole.
How does bootpolish taste?
Report Post »Regdunlop
Posted on January 20, 2012 at 11:18amAwww, V-douche called me a boot licker. It hurts so much coming from him. So creative. I guess pot rots the brain huh? What’s next, sheeple? Or Neo-con or something equally witty?
Report Post »Krazy_Kreepy_Ketchup
Posted on January 19, 2012 at 10:11pmAnd we all know they drove home immidiately after.
Report Post »The-Monk
Posted on January 19, 2012 at 10:30pmAnd we all know that we can’t pull them over…..
Report Post »texasfireguy
Posted on January 19, 2012 at 10:58pmI doubt if they drove any where. I have volunteered to do this before for the cadets in cop school. They are very strict about having a ride home.
Report Post »Detroit paperboy
Posted on January 20, 2012 at 12:03amI wanna drive the hot young female cop home…. For safety puposes only…. Yup .
Report Post »The-Monk
Posted on January 20, 2012 at 12:16am@Detroit paperboy
Report Post »Make sure she brings her hand-cuffs ;>)
AJAYW
Posted on January 20, 2012 at 5:24am@texasfireguy
Report Post »I know a lot of fireman who volunteered and slep it off at the fire house. Did you?
texasfireguy
Posted on January 20, 2012 at 11:25am@Ajay; no I didn’t sleep it off at the station. If I came to the station drunk, even off duty, I probably wouldn’t have a job afterwards. Zero tolerance now, not like when I started 20 years ago. Times have changed.
Report Post »I usually am asked to help with the class through my teaching job at the college, where I teach fire and EMS classes. The cop school asks for volunteers to be test subjects.
Side note, don‘t volunteer to be the ’bad guy’ for their excersizes. They take it pretty seriously. I didn’t know I could touch the back of my head with my arm behind my back, turns out I could.
ilikai
Posted on January 19, 2012 at 10:07pmAt least they were testing the machines. This is not newsworthy.
Report Post »Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra
Posted on January 19, 2012 at 10:03pmI found my dream job, pay me to get drunk. I promise to show up everyday, and I can play all kind of drinking games. Plus I love doritos. My first step to becoming President.
Report Post »Baddoggy
Posted on January 19, 2012 at 10:01pmThank you for spending our tax dollars so responsibly….yes, it was sarcasm….Raise a glass to the Police State.
Report Post »texasfireguy
Posted on January 19, 2012 at 10:59pmHow is this part of the “Police State”?
Report Post »sWampy
Posted on January 19, 2012 at 10:00pmWonder if these things are any more accurate than they were 12 years ago? 12 years ago when I worked for the state supreme court, it was shown that the ones the state was currently using were only accurate within plus or minus 0.1% which was bad because you were over the limit at .08, so the machine couldn’t really tell with any certainly if you were completely sober, or double the legal limit, depending on the temperature and humidity in the location of your test.
Report Post »RichNGadsden
Posted on January 19, 2012 at 10:30pmI started with the Smith & Wesson Series 200s and 300s back in the mid ‘70s through the mid ’80s in N.C. and NY. They were far more accurate than that. Of course the limit was .10% in every state except Mississippi back then. Mississippi was .15%. Late ’80s most states started to adopt what had been the norm in Germany at .08%. Anyway, we experienced many who wanted to contest the Breathelizer finding with a blood test. All that I can remember they came out the same except those that took too long. Those were disqualified by law due to the time.
Report Post »As for what is thought of as a drinking party, they are actually controlled events to train the officers and usually for an annual retraining. They usually break down to two days with half drinking and the other half testing. Nobody is allowed to drink unless he/she has a safe ride and that is verified. Non drinkers tend to get screwed though.
Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra
Posted on January 19, 2012 at 10:43pmWhen me and a buddy used to go to Sacramento Gold Miner games (American CFL Team)…they had a free breathalizer at the gate as you left. Since we had a Driver, we used to see which one could get highest score…..he always won.
Report Post »The-Monk
Posted on January 20, 2012 at 12:10am@RichNGadsden
“I started with the Smith & Wesson Series 200…”
I started with the Smith & Wesson Model 19 Combat Magnum…:>)
Report Post »sWampy
Posted on January 20, 2012 at 9:58amI guess they could occasionally get lucky and get it right. I just remember one particular test the state legislator had done in particular where they took 10 new freshly calibrated machines 5 different models, from multiple vendors, nebulizers calibrated to put out a known volume of alcohol took samples 20 times on each machine. When all the numbers were run, none were accurate enough to be used. Of course one was eventually picked, and used by the state, there is big money in DUI‘s couldn’t have a little thing like justice get in the way of that.
Report Post »oriondma05
Posted on January 19, 2012 at 9:58pmmeh.. It was work related.
Report Post »KickinBack
Posted on January 19, 2012 at 9:39pmI guess it’s still better than 3 million dollars on turtle tunnels.
Report Post »trolltrainer
Posted on January 19, 2012 at 9:38pmNever understood why people drink…
However, in full disclosure I was a pothead back in the day. Just never liked alcohol…
Report Post »SgtB
Posted on January 19, 2012 at 10:20pmPeople drink because alcohol has been a staple of the human diet for thousands of years and has been responsible for the ability of some groups of people to survive drought, famine, winter, and even plague. Also, alcohol is a nervous system depressant that alleviates coughing (active ingredient in nyquil), pain, and soreness. It also helps to keep you from getting food born illnesses as the alcohol in your stomach kills bacteria that your stomach acid doesn’t.
And lest I forget, some people just like to get drunk or enjoy the flavor or routine of having a nightcap. And I would be remiss if I didn’t point out that marijuana cannot be used to sterilize or preserve food. So alcohol wins even though some idiots choose to drink too much and die from alcohol poisoning.
Report Post »trolltrainer
Posted on January 19, 2012 at 10:32pmer…Thank you Cliff Clavin…
Report Post »Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra
Posted on January 19, 2012 at 11:12pmMonks, to preserve the fast, devoloped DoubleBock, a wholesome beer that was full of nutrients to sustain them during the fast. Nurished their bodies and brought them closer to God. Amen.
Report Post »