Advertisement KCPD checkpoint looks for unlicensed drivers Officers say many people drive with revoked, suspended licenses Share Shares Copy Link Copy

Kansas City police said they're hunting for drivers who put other people in danger, specifically those driving without a license.Officers have set up a checkpoint at an area they said is common for crashes with unlicensed drivers and it's checking every driver to see if they have one.Police said anyone caught without a license will be asked to step out of the vehicle and it will be moved. Anyone who is driving on a suspended or revoked license will be arrested.Within the first hour of the checkpoint, KMBC 9's Kisha Henry said she saw dozens of people led out of their vehicles and some taken into custody. By about 9:30 p.m., police said they had issued 76 citations and taken 35 people to jail.Sgt. Christopher Bentch of the Kansas City Police Department said officers are trying to get drivers through the checkpoint as quickly as possible, but any minor inconvenience is in the interest of safety."We have found that typically people who don't have their driver's license quite often are suspended or revoked and the reasons they're suspended or revoked is for a variety of offenses that have to do with driving or safe driving," he said. "We find out a lot of people that we stop don't have licenses because of DUIs, which is why the DUI squad is involved in doing this."Police said anyone who spots one of the checkpoints shouldn't turn around and try to bypass it, because officers are stationed around the checkpoint to stop people who make abrupt turns to avoid being checked.Police said the checkpoint will continue through the night. The Kansas City Police Department will use grant money to conduct five driver's license checkpoints this year.