Getting drunk around the police is generally not on the average person’s to-do list, but what if the police were providing you the alcohol for free?
That’s exactly what happened in Jefferson County, Missouri when the local sheriff’s office offered volunteers an unlimited selection of all kinds of alcohol, ranging from beer to hard liquor, for two hours during the day. After those two hours, their officers would run through Standard Field Sobriety Tests (SFSTs) with the now-drunk helpers.
A social media post with the offer was made, eliciting a massive response. Some asked if there was a “waiting list” while others proposed a “date night” with their partner. The 12 available volunteer slots were quickly filled, as one can imagine.
But this isn’t just fun and games as the officers participating in the “wet lab” were evaluated on their ability to perform the roadside sobriety tests, a practice that has been around for decades. The official Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page cleared up some questions, comments and concerns citizens had.
“Q: Can I just show up to participate? A: No. Every volunteer will have permission to participate by an instructor. The instructor/evaluator has done some level of vetting to make sure we are getting the right candidate. Some people handle alcohol well, and others not so much. This is a fun experience, but its also a professional environment where officers are being evaluated by trained professionals,” they explained of their selection process.
“Q: Are my tax dollars being used to purchase alcohol for drinking volunteers? A: No, we do not use taxpayer funds to purchase alcohol,” they continued.
They also assured potentially concerned citizens that this is actually necessary for the officers to receive their SFST certification, allowing them to conduct sobriety tests on potentially intoxicated drivers.
Shockingly, they also had to clarify that they are looking for participants with no history of alcohol-related arrests/convictions, have any pending cases, or be on medication that explicitly states that it should not be mixed with alcohol.
Additional information on the practice was reported in the local news:
Additionally, the selected volunteers were also offered a ride home free of charge, unless they provided their own designated driver. A good thing too, because the officers likely would not want to put their fresh training to use on the first day!
Writers and editors can be contacted at [email protected] with feedback, tips, or corrections.
Sierra Marlee is a millennial whose hunger for the truth in a world of fake news has led her to write. Marlee also contributes to BizPac Review.
- ‘A bad and dangerous precedent’: Columbine survivor discusses sentencing of school shooter’s parents - April 11, 2024
- Rolling Stone reports RFK Jr’s ‘number one priority’ is to take votes from Joe Biden - April 10, 2024
- ‘Star Wars’ icon Billy Dee Williams shuns ‘victimhood,’ defends blackface: ‘If you’re an actor you should be able to do anything you want’ - April 9, 2024
Comment
We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, profanity, vulgarity, doxing, or discourteous behavior. If a comment is spam, instead of replying to it please click the ∨ icon below and to the right of that comment. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain fruitful conversation.