Policy Text
P L A N T C I T Y P O L I C E D E P A R T M E N T
General Order Title
DUI ENFORCEMENT
General Order Number
24-7
Effective: 01/01/1996 Revised Date: 05/14/2020 R Reviewed :
CF
The purpose of this direc tive is to establish pro cedures and guidelines for Driving while Under the
Influence (DUI) of Alcohol and/or Drugs Traffic Enforcement in the most commonly en countered
situations.
The enforcemen t of DUI vio lations of the traffic laws is a basic law enforcement re sponsibility, and is a
major function of members of the Uni form Patrol Divi sion. Members as signed to other Divi sions and Units
within the De partment do not usually enforce DUI tr affic laws unless the driver's actions create such a
danger to the public that en force ment action must be tak en.
It is the intent of the Plant City Police Depart ment to aggressively arrest and remove impaired drivers from
the streets within our jurisdiction. Impaired drivers cause deaths, injuries, and property damage on our
streets and roadways. The enforcement of DUI laws plays an important role in the overall image of the
Plant City Police Department in the minds of t he public.
This Department fully supports a compre hensive cooperative DUI coun termeasures program and has
estab lished DUI enforcement as one of its highest priorities. Members must be alert f or signs of alcohol
and/or drug impairment in all contacts with motor ists and make every effort to detect and appre hend them.
Members will not release a DUI sus pect or arrange for alternate transpor tation in lieu of arrest without
first notifying the on -duty supervisor.
A. The Department will utilize the following countermeasures in various combinations in its DUI
enforcement program:
1. Selective assignment of members at the time of and to the locations where analyses have
24-7.1 DUI COUNTER MEASURES
RULES AND PROCEDURES INTENT DISCUSSION PURPOS E
GENE RAL ORDER 24-7 DUI ENFORCEMENT P a g e | 2
shown a signif icant number of viola tions and/or crashes have occurred involving im paired
drivers;
2. Selective surveillance techniques applied to roadways experiencing an unusual incidence
of impaired driver crashes to ascertain the characteris tic violation profile of the problem
drinker who drives;
3. Selected alcohol related crash investiga tions and analyses of find ings;
4. Selected roadway checks for deter rent purposes; and
5. Selective enforcement of im paired driver laws, concentrating on existing laws and the
expedi tious pro cessing of violators.
A. When an officer is out on patrol there are several phases of observation that an officer makes
prior to making a decision to arrest a driver for DUI. Phase I involves the vehicle in motion, visual
DUI det ection clues; Phase II involves the personal contact with the driver; Phase III involves the
pre-arrest screening (field sobriety testing); and Phase IV is the arrest and processing phase.
When an officer arrives on the scene of a crash, the observations begin at Phase II with input
from the witnesses on the scene. The "Florida Standardized Field Sobriety Exercises (SFSE)
Manual" is available to officers and lists screening procedures.
B. Phase I - Visual DUI Detection Clues - This phase begins when an offi cer observes how the
vehicle is operated and maneuvered and also observes the driver. The officer notices one or
more driving violations and then decides whether or not to stop the vehicle. The next observation
begins when the officer activates his emerg ency equipment and the driver reacts. Does the
vehicle begin to stop? If so , how? Does the driver notice the emergency equipment or does the
officer have to activate additional equipment to get the driver's attention? Some of the following
are driving patterns that may be indicators that the driver is impaired:
1. Vehicle turning with a wide radius;
2. Vehicle straddling center or lane marker;
3. Driver appears to be drunk;
4. Vehicle almost strikes object or vehicle;
5. Vehicle is weaving;
6. Vehicle driving on other than designated highway;
7. Vehicle is swerving;
8. Vehicle is driving slower than 10 M.P.H. below posted speed limit;
9. Vehicle stopping without cause in traffic lane;
10. Vehicle following another vehicle too closely;
11. Vehicle is drifting;
12. Vehicles tires on center o r lane marker;
13. Vehicle braking erratically;
14. Vehicle is driving into opposing or crossing traffic;
15. Vehicle signaling inconsistent with driving actions;
16. Vehicle has slow response to traffic signals;
17. Vehicle stops inappropriately;
18. Vehicle turns abruptly or il legally;
19. Vehicle accelerates or decelerates rapidly;
24-7.2 DUI ENFORCEMENT
GENE RAL ORDER 24-7 DUI ENFORCEMENT P a g e | 3
20. Vehicle has headlights off when their use is required.
C. Phase II - Personal contact with the driver - Once the vehicle is stopped, the officer begins to
observe the driver's behavior. How does the drive r respond to simple questions and requests? Is
the driver able to get the DL, registration, and insurance? The officer observes how the driver
exits the vehicle. Is his balance poor? Does the driver hold onto the vehicle for support