MHP DUI processing van stops at Malmstrom

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Dillon White
  • 341st Missile Wing Public Affairs Office
MALMSTROM AIR FORCE BASE, Mont. --  Montana Highway Patrol officers drove their Mobile Impaired Driving Assessment Center onto Malmstrom Air Force Base April 16 to raise awareness of impaired driving. 

More than 30 Airmen stopped and climbed the aluminum stairs to check out the interior and speak with MHP officers about the vehicle. 

The mobile assessment center is taken to sporting events, concerts, rodeos and other large public events across Montana to improve on-scene officers' abilities to process suspects; this includes individuals suspected of being under the influence of drugs. 

"It saves time," said Officer Ben Vetter of the Montana Forensic Science Division. "Instead of taking a suspect all the way to the local police station, they just bring them on the truck for testing." 

The vehicle is sectioned into two rooms: a command and control room and a testing room. Two officers are required to run the more than $300,000 vehicle, with one person controlling video recording equipment in the command section and one performing field sobriety tests in the other. 

"The truck is equipped with auto-leveling," said Officer Kurt Sager, MHP trooper. "When we test suspects they cannot argue that the vehicle was crooked, saying that is what made them stumble and not their level of intoxication." 

The vehicle is also air conditioned and capable of supporting blood testing for the presence of drugs by a registered nurse. 

"If we can save one person from a DUI-related crash, it's done its job," Officer Sager said. 

Senior Airman Darren Pine, 341st Security Forces Squadron member, came out for the tour, and said he was impressed with the vehicle's capability. 

"There is not a single aspect of the sobriety test that's missed," Airman Pine said. "Plus, you have everything on tape, which is very important. It can make or break the case in court because you can only paint so much of a picture without a video." 

Chief Master Sgt. Daniel Koning, 341st SFS security forces manager, also stepped inside to thank the patrolmen for bringing the vehicle on base to raise awareness and to learn about the vehicle himself. 

"It's an incredible tool and deterrent," Chief Koning said. "Airmen are our most valuable asset, and if I could, I would march every Airman on base through this thing just to raise their awareness." 

The factor that makes the vehicle a deterrent, Officer Sager said, is its visible MHP markings, and size. 

"It's like a giant billboard for prevention," he said. "When people see this drive up to an event they automatically associate it with a DUI. It really deters a lot of people from drinking too much in the first place." 

The vehicle was brought on base in conjunction with standardized field sobriety training held at the Great Falls Civic Center. More than 20 Airmen from Malmstrom volunteered to be administered doses of alcohol. Police officers from across Montana and security forces members from Malmstrom then tested the volunteers as part of their standardized field sobriety certification.