Lake County stages first 'no refusal' DUI crackdown

Cpl. Cliff Paul has mastered the art of the U-turn.

He can swing a lumbering Crown Victoria police cruiser around and point it in the opposite direction in the blink of an eye and position himself to chase down a traffic law violator.

The Buffalo Grove police officer got plenty of opportunities to do so this weekend as dozens of officers hit the streets for Lake County's "Operation Safe Run."

A DUI crackdown that spanned Route 21 throughout the county, Safe Run was the first time county law enforcement has refused to take no for an answer when telling drivers to take a DUI breath test. If a driver refused, assistant state's attorneys were standing by to prepare court orders for blood tests.

Those orders were then taken to a judge, and, if approved, suspects' blood was drawn instead.

State's Attorney Michael Waller said six drivers initially refused to submit to a breath test, but when told a search warrant would be issued for their blood, five decided to comply with the breath test.

The sixth driver, whose identifying information was not available Sunday, refused to comply with the search warrant and was charged with contempt of court as well as DUI, Waller said.

"Statistics show that up to 40 percent of DUI suspects refuse to take breath tests, and people with prior DUI arrests are much more likely to refuse," Waller said. "The 'No Refusal' enforcement is aimed at habitual drunken drivers who try to play the system."

It is not a policy that gets universally good reviews, especially in the defense attorney community.

Donald Ramsell of Wheaton is one of the state's most experienced DUI lawyers, and he called the mandatory blood draws "about as close to George Orwell as we have gotten" in forcing the will of authority on citizens.

"Is there anybody who is really comfortable with taking blood out of a person's body to see if a crime has been committed?" he asked. "They are just seeking to scare the hell out of everybody and intimidate them."

Paul brought a wealth of experience in DUI enforcement to the operation, having made more than 500 arrests in his 12 years with Buffalo Grove police.

He also has insight of the tragedy DUI can bring, having seen his own mother struck and disabled by a drunken driver when he was 14. He's also seen his share of crashes since he joined the police.

"I was the first officer at the scene when a young woman crashed her car into a tree just a few blocks from her home," he said. "I had to go with the coroner to tell her parents, and that is an experience you never forget."

He roamed the streets late Saturday and early Sunday looking for signs of erratic or irresponsible driving that would allow him to stop a vehicle and check out the driver.

Speeding, lane weaving and tailgating opened the door for Paul to run up behind a car, flip on his emergency lights and look for signs of alcohol impairment.

He was cautious in his evaluations; noting that a driver that has been drinking is not necessarily drunk, as in the case of a Michigan man driving a car carrying several members of a wedding party.

After asking the man to step out of his car, Paul watched the man's eyes remain steady as the officer's finger moved in front of his face and listened as he flawlessly recited the alphabet.

"He has had a couple of drinks, but he is all right," Paul said after letting the man go on his way. "His passengers, on the other hand, are totaled."

Officer Matthew Mills stopped another guest at a wedding, and Paul as watched the man wobble when asked to walk a straight line, Mills reached for his portable breath testing device.

The man's blood alcohol reading came up .107 percent, he was placed in handcuffs and charged with DUI.