(A) The police officers of the town are authorized to participate with the County Sheriff’s Department and State Department of Police in conducting road blocks or traffic checks within the town under circumstances whereby the Sheriff’s Department or state police have proper authority to proceed with such traffic checks.
(B) The police officers of the town be authorized to initiate traffic checks under the following circumstances:
(1) A life-threatening crime or crime involving the theft or destruction of property has been recently committed within the town or within a close proximity of the town so as to cause the police officer to believe that there is a high possibility of apprehending the culprit if a road block was established; and
(2) Random road blocks for the purpose of checking compliance with all state and local motor vehicle laws and ordinances may be conducted after the chief police officer in charge has filed with the Clerk of the Town Council a designation of time and place of such road block not less than one hour prior to the establishment of said road block.
(C) All random road blocks shall be conducted in accordance with the following procedures.
(1) Names of police officers working the site shall be filed with the designation.
(2) All police vehicles shall use either flashing blue lights or blue rotary lights, together with traffic fuses as deemed necessary by the officer in charge.
(3) The officer in charge shall determine, at all times, the adequacy of the number of officers assigned to the checkpoints.
(4) The officer in charge may solicit and obtain the assistance of the County Sheriff’s Department or the state police or any authorized law enforcement officers.
(5) The officer may at any time, in his or her discretion, cancel the checkpoint.
(6) The officer in charge shall determine that adequate space is available to allow the officer to pull over vehicles for further examination without creating a safety hazard to others using the highway.
(7) The site selected for the checkpoint shall be in an area where motorists approaching the checkpoint will be unable to turn off or avoid the checkpoint.
(8) The location of the checkpoint shall have adequate visibility to all oncoming traffic in the direction from which the checkpoint is being conducted.
(9) The officer conducting the check shall fully inform the operator of the vehicle stopped of the purpose of the check and shall charge any violators for any violation of any laws or infraction of any motor vehicle regulations.
(10) The officer in charge will keep a record of officers involved in the check, the duration of the check, the number of vehicles stopped and number of violations charged.
(1996 Code, § 159-23) (Ord. passed 6-14-1994)