Law enforcement is changing the way it's keeping roads safe from impaired drivers.The change is a result of a recent Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruling, which prohibits communities from working together across jurisdictions to set up sobriety checkpoints without formal agreements or ordinances.In Lancaster County, District Attorney Craig Stedman has put a hold on those checkpoints but said that doesn't mean police aren't on the lookout for DUIs. For now, police will just be conducting roving patrols within the boundaries of their own municipalities."We don't want people to think this is a free pass for the summer. It's just we're not going to have any of the formal checkpoints," Stedman said.The district attorneys in York and Lebanon counties told WGAL they're working to figure out how the ruling will impact checkpoints from now on. The Lebanon County district attorney said the details of how the checkpoints are run may be modified.The Dauphin County district attorney said he has appointed special county detectives, who have countywide jurisdiction, to run checkpoints and will continue to do so in the future.District attorneys and the DUI Association are pressing the Legislature to enact a law that would once again allow departments to cross into other jurisdictions to set up checkpoints and make DUI arrests based on informal agreements.Stedman said multiagency checkpoints have worked well in the past and saved lives, so he's hoping lawmakers act quickly so the checkpoints can be used again.Pennsylvania State Police will continue to conduct their own checkpoints.

Law enforcement is changing the way it's keeping roads safe from impaired drivers.


The change is a result of a recent Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruling, which prohibits communities from working together across jurisdictions to set up sobriety checkpoints without formal agreements or ordinances.

In Lancaster County, District Attorney Craig Stedman has put a hold on those checkpoints but said that doesn't mean police aren't on the lookout for DUIs. For now, police will just be conducting roving patrols within the boundaries of their own municipalities.

"We don't want people to think this is a free pass for the summer. It's just we're not going to have any of the formal checkpoints," Stedman said.

The district attorneys in York and Lebanon counties told WGAL they're working to figure out how the ruling will impact checkpoints from now on. The Lebanon County district attorney said the details of how the checkpoints are run may be modified.

The Dauphin County district attorney said he has appointed special county detectives, who have countywide jurisdiction, to run checkpoints and will continue to do so in the future.

District attorneys and the DUI Association are pressing the Legislature to enact a law that would once again allow departments to cross into other jurisdictions to set up checkpoints and make DUI arrests based on informal agreements.

Stedman said multiagency checkpoints have worked well in the past and saved lives, so he's hoping lawmakers act quickly so the checkpoints can be used again.

Pennsylvania State Police will continue to conduct their own checkpoints.