LANSING, MI -- Due to reliability concerns, Michigan State Police on Jan. 10 placed every breathalyzer machine in the state out of service.

By Jan. 23, 103 of the 203 machines had been tested, certified and returned to action, state police spokeswoman Shanon Banner said.

The issues arose after state police began to detect issues with documentation and reporting conducted by employees of St. Louis-based Intoximeters Inc., a company contracted for about $1.3 million per year to calibrate and certify the state’s DataMaster machines.

The contract called for 120-day, in-person testing of each machine, among other related maintenance services.

“While the discrepancies do not directly impact or deal with the results of evidential breath tests, it is concerning that it appears as though some certification records have been falsified," State Police Director Joseph Gasper said in a Jan. 13 statement.

“At this early stage in the investigation, the MSP does not know how many certification records were falsified or how long these deceptive practices were occurring,” Gasper said.

State police first acknowledge documentation issues in August. The service contract with Intoximeters was halted Jan. 7.

A review discovered reporting discrepancies that could lead to the dismissal of at least 54 drunken driving cases.

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A criminal investigation to determine if Intoximeters employees could face criminal charges is underway.

Michigan police began using the DataMaster breathalyzer machines, manufactured by National Patent Analytical Systems of Mansfield, Ohio, nearly 20 years ago. The maintenance contract was shifted to Intoximeters in 2018.

State police have not said how long they expect it to take to restore all of the state’s breathalyzer machines to service.

-- Gus Burns is the marijuana beat reporter for MLive. Contact him with questions, tips or comments at fburns@mlive.com or follow him on Twitter, @GusBurns. Read more from MLive about medical and recreational marijuana.

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