New Hampshire Activists Cancel Police Checkpoint
Activists in New Hampshire have succeeded in canceling a police sobriety checkpoint.
During the warmer months, police departments in New Hampshire conduct a series of sobriety checkpoints. These checkpoints are paid for exclusively by federal grants, and violate the 4th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution by stopping motorists without a reasonable suspicion of illegal activity.
Manchester, NH police planned one such sobriety checkpoint, the first of the season, for Friday, April 24. That evening, dozens of activists planned well in advance to converge in downtown Manchester to divert traffic away from the checkpoint, using signs to warn motorists and going to all the local bars to warn patrons about the exact location of the checkpoint. Additionally, activists notified the press of their planned operation.
The morning of the event, facing mounting pressure from the planned protest, Manchester PD canceled the checkpoint, citing concerns over inclement weather. It’s important to note that the weather forecast predicted no rain, minimal wind, and temperatures in the mid-40s.
When normal springtime evening weather is cited as justification for canceling a major police operation, precisely when a huge protest to said operation is planned, one has to conclude that something else is afoot.
Joël Valenzuela is the editor of The Desert Lynx.
