After a STRIPES car was stopped at an MU Police Department checkpoint last weekend, rumors spread insinuating that passengers had been ticketed for being intoxicated.
According to a STRIPES news release, these rumors are false.
STRIPES spokesman Andrew Worrall said students saw a STRIPES vehicle being stopped and rushed to conclusions.
“(The stop) was very routine,” he said.
All cars that pass an MUPD checkpoint are stopped regardless of the vehicle’s affiliation, the news release stated. STRIPES cars are not immune to any traffic laws, and drivers are required to have their license and registration, as are any other vehicles.
“It’s usually the officer’s preference on whether or not to pull us over (at checkpoints),” STRIPES director Jeri Pautler said.
Pautler said it wasn’t out of the ordinary for the car to be stopped.
“We’re not even entirely sure that there were patrons in the vehicle,” Worrall said.
Since STRIPES began 10 years ago, all law enforcement agencies have cooperated with the organization.
“Police do not target STRIPES vehicles or their patrons, because all parties recognize patrons have made a good decision to utilize a designated driver,” the news release stated.
Worrall said law enforcement agencies are not trying to cite STRIPES patrons.
“We’re on the same page when it comes to getting students home,” Worrall said. “They understand that those people made the right choice by calling STRIPES.”
The citation of a STRIPES passenger has only occurred once, according to the release. The passenger received a littering citation for throwing an empty beer can at an officer.
There is no record of anyone receiving an alcohol citation while utilizing STRIPES, the news release stated.
Worrall said the program has been dealing with false rumors since its start.
“Ninety-nine percent of the time, (rumors about STRIPES) are completely false,” he said.
The news release also clarified that police do not follow STRIPES cars with the hope of issuing Minor in Possession citations or pull STRIPES cars over to check patrons’ IDs.
It also debunked the belief that if a vehicle is pulled over, a patron is being arrested. Cars have been pulled over for broken taillights and turn signals in the past.