You may have seen the ankle bracelets that are capable of monitoring alcohol consumption. The devices, which measure vapors given off by perspiration, have become increasingly common and have even been spotted on celebrities like Lindsay Lohan.
I was curious if we had any such technology here in Kitsap, so I asked Kitsap County’s district court administrator Maury Baker, who oversees the largest court that handles DUI in the county.
“We have not used these and have been aware of them since they hit the market,” Baker wrote me in an email.
UPDATE: Monday, 9:11 a.m.: I got an email from a local attorney who told me they’re in use in Bainbridge Island and Poulsbo’s municipal courts. I’ll get more info on them today.
I showed Baker an article in the Dallas Morning News about the device’s use in Texas. You can read it here.
But Baker feels Kitsap’s method of monitoring — the ignition interlock device (IID) or “blow and go” — has an advantage over the anklet.
“As the article states, the (ankle) sensor does not stop one from driving drunk,” Baker wrote. “The IID disables the vehicle.”
Who pays to have the ignition interlock device installed on a vehicle? How about if the DUI convictee has access to multiple family vehicles, are they installed on each one ?
500 Bucks plus per device ? who pays if the convicted individual is “poor” – “disadvantaged”, (does not work or disabled due to ADD,Obesity, Drug Addiction,Alcoholism, ad infinitum)…..I think the answer is the working stiff “Taxpayer”. Is this a great country or what ?
I pay $190 every two months for the IID and of this $40 goes back to the state to pay for the IID of a person who applies and is deemed to not be financially able to pay for their IID. No taxpayer money involved.
And yes, this is a great country!
Owen, if you cannot afford one you don’t get to drive and if you are caught driving someone elses vehicle your original sentence gets slapped on you weather your drinking or not. I don’t drive myself but if this is what people need to make them not drink and drive so be it.
What commercial enterprise supplies, installs and maintains these devices ?
If the vehicle operator is ordered to use one and cannot afford it who DOES pay for it ? (what branch of county government ?)
None of this information is in the article.
Who cares if they can afford them or not… We should implement a law, like in other European countries, and have them competely lose their right to drive. Period. Have a job to get to??? boo-hoo take the bus or, even better, DON’T DRINK and DRIVE. I say shut them down and make them suffer!!!
The article is really good and gives much for thought. But crime is growing and more and more people are exposed to burglary and theft. The question is probably also how this can be avoided and kept down in the future so we can sleep safe in our homes.
To you, Waldo and the other misinformed in this country who think driving is a right (guaranteed by the Constitution)????
Driving is a “privilege not a right” as quoted from the Washington State Driver’s Manual “Driving is a vital part of life, yet owning a vehicle and holding a driver license are privileges that require responsibility.”
It is not a guarantee and said privilege can be withdrawn by the state at ANY time.
I agree I do think this should be an implemented law whether first time offenders or habitual offenders. My ex husband has had several DUI’s, he’s on supervised probation , for DUI’s and non payment of child support… also has a warrant for violation of probabtion and since its supervised you’d think they would arrest him… nope… they need something to monitor offenders especially when they have multiple offenses … I think they should have em if your on
” supervised ” probabtion as well … I totally dont believe in the system anymore… I want to see a story about our court system and probabtion system … Ive heard too many times that they just dont have the man power or resources….
You’d think that outboard motors had wings in this county, the way they appear to fly off the backs of boats and disband but a trace. In total, 71 such motors were reported stolen in the county in between Oct 2009