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The Monmouth County DWI Task force will conduct a checkpoint to detect drivers under the influence of alcohol or drugs on Friday, August 1, according to Brielle Police Chief Michael W. Palmer.

The checkpoint will run from 11 p.m. Friday through 3 a.m. Saturday on Route 35.

Task force members and officers from the Ocean Township Police Department will randomly pull vehicles from the northbound lanes off the Asbury Circle to determine driver’s sobriety, Palmer said. Palmer is the head of the committee of the chiefs’ association which oversees the DWI task force.

During the stop, officers may discover other offenses for which motor vehicle summonses or criminal charges may be issued. 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.

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

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