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The Monmouth County DWI Task Force will operate a DWI checkpoint on Main Street in Asbury Park on Friday night and Saturday morning to detect for drivers under the influence of alcohol or drugs, according to a task force news release.

The checkpoint will be conducted from 11:00 p.m. on Friday until 3:00 a.m. on Saturday, according to Brielle Police Chief Michael W. Palmer, task force coordinator.

Task force members and officers from the Asbury Park Police Department will pull vehicles from the southbound lane into the municipal complex parking lot to determine driver sobriety, Palmer said.

Funds to pay for the checkpoints are provided by a grant from the New Jersey Division of Highway Safety, as well as $68,000 from the Monmouth County Board of Freeholders, Palmer previously told the Sun. Municipalities providing officers do not pay for their time at the checkpoints, he said.

The Monmouth County DWI task force is run by the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office and the Monmouth County Chiefs of Police Association, Palmer said.

Palmer is head of the committee of the chiefs’ association overseeing the DWI task force, he said.

At its checkpoints, the task force randomly pulls over vehicles. During the stop, officers may discover other offenses for which motor vehicle summonses or criminal charges may issue. Those with outstanding warrants may also be taken into custody.

In most circumstances, an officer must have probable cause to believe a crime or motor vehicle offense has occurred to stop an automobile. However, an exception is made under the law for DWI checkpoints, such as those run by the county DWI task force, that randomly pull over vehicles in areas where DWI offenses happen with some degree of frequency. Publicizing the date, time and location of a checkpoint helps give fair notice to the public — one factor making the stop of the vehicles more likely to be upheld by a court on constitutional grounds.

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