Carol Stream police leading way on new test for drivers on drugs
Sometimes the signs of a drunken driver are obvious - the slurred speech, the reek of alcohol, the big number on the breath test.
But when a driver is under the influence of marijuana, heroin or even prescription drugs, the evidence can be much harder to detect.
Carol Stream police are the first in Illinois, and among the first in the nation, trying to tackle that problem with a new cutting-edge testing procedure designed to reveal drugged drivers.
Officers will obtain a swab of saliva - at first voluntarily - from motorists suspected of driving under the influence of drugs. The sample is fed into a mobile testing instrument that detects the presence of street or prescription drugs and the quantity.
That's key, because state law no longer assumes that any trace of drugs equals intoxication. Instead, as with alcohol, the amount has to surpass a certain threshold.
Carol Stream police were approached by the system's maker, Judicial Testing Systems, about giving its P.I.A.² system a try because of the department's reputation for aggressive enforcement of DUI laws, Sgt. Brian Cluever said.
“We want to give officers all the tools they need to make sure they're making the right decisions and removing intoxicated drivers from the roads,” Cluever said.
This is only a test
When they put the testing system to work - hopefully by February, Cluever said - it will be on a trial basis only.
That's in part because evidence from the swabs isn't yet admissible in court.
For that to happen, law enforcement will have to show the courts the system meets what's called the Frye standard - that it's deemed consistent, reliable and accurate by the scientific community.
Until then, Carol Stream police will collect data to help make that case. Drivers already arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of drugs will be asked if they are willing to give a saliva sample, Cluever said. The results will be compared against those from blood tests police conduct after such arrests, to see if they match.
Based on the success of similar testing systems in Europe, Cluever is confident the evidence eventually will be allowed in Illinois courtrooms.
“The science is proven,” he said. “We just want to show it works on our roadsides, it works in our station and it works for the purposes we need it.”
Star turn
Lake County sheriff's deputy Rebecca Loeb quickly became a fan favorite after her July debut on the A&E Network reality show “Live PD.” So much so she's been invited to spend this weekend in the show's New York City studio.
Loeb will join host Dan Abrams and analyst Tom Morris Jr. from 7 to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday. She'll provide commentary and insight to viewers of the highly rated show, which follows law enforcement in action across the country.
Loeb, who joined the sheriff's office in April 2016, just months after earning her law degree, has proved to be a natural on camera when working out in the field, but heading into the studio is another matter altogether.
“I will definitely be out of my element, but I'm excited,” said Loeb, a Buffalo Grove native and Stevenson High grad. “I'm fortunate to be able to represent the sheriff's office. I'm more excited than nervous.”
Loeb said she never anticipated the national attention that's come with her “Live PD” fame - she has more than 16,000 followers on Twitter - but being on the show as been an “overwhelmingly positive” experience.
Revolving door
The guy accused of attacking a 13-year-old girl Monday at a school bus stop near St. Charles had not been on the streets for very long that day.
Javier Prado was released from the Kane County jail at 12:43 p.m., just a few hours before the assault, according to jail records.
The 43-year-old had been in custody since Dec. 8 after his arrest in Elgin on charges of littering and trespassing. Court records show he pleaded guilty Monday and was freed.
Prado is back behind bars in the Kane County jail on $250,000 bail. He's charged with aggravated criminal sexual abuse and attempted robbery.
Give and receive (a break)
Are you a parking scofflaw with your heart in the right place? Then Hanover Park has a deal for you.
The village's police department announced this week it again will accept “Food for Fines” from those of you who earn a parking ticket during the holidays.
The fine print: A donation of 10 canned food items (brought to the police station lobby) gets you out of a $50 parking violation written in the village between Dec. 17 and 31. Donations must be made within 10 days of getting the ticket. The food will go to the Hanover Township Food Pantry.
There's an app for that?
Proving there is indeed an app for everything, we give you TerrorMate, an app that promises to alert its users to a mass shooting within two minutes of the attack.
A Belgium-based company launched the app this year to track terrorist attacks. It added mass shootings as a response to the attack on concertgoers Oct. 1 in Las Vegas.
“Our supportive, proactive user base urged us to broaden the categories and scope of TerrorMate's alerts, so we quickly expanded our reporting and warning capabilities to include mass shootings,” TerrorMate founder Barry Oberholzer said in a news release.
TerrorMate is available at the iTunes and Google Play stores.
Got a tip? Send an email to copsandcrime@dailyherald.com or call (847) 427-4483.