Drivers under .08 may still be intoxicated

Randy Sibbett

Thursday, Sept. 4, 2008 | midnight

On Aug. 21, Sgt. Perkins and Officers Ford, Olson and Wilkin responded to the 1200 block of Tamarisk Lane to a report that the victim's ex-wife just broke one of the windows in his vehicle. The victim gave a description of his ex-wife's truck and she was eventually located by National Park Service near Hoover Dam. His ex-wife was arrested for driving under the influence and her truck was towed.

On Aug. 25, Officer Richner responded to a business in the 800 block of Buchanan Boulevard to a report of a former employee selling stolen merchandise on eBay.

On Aug. 25, Officer Ashby responded to the lobby of the Boulder City Police Department. A male told Officer Ashby that beer is missing from his refrigerator and he's noticed empty beer cans in his 17-year-old son's bedroom.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can my son shoot his BB gun in our backyard as long as he's shooting at a target?

A: It's illegal to shoot any type of air gun (BB or pellet) within 1,000 yards of a building.

Boulder City Code 7-1-3 (Discharging Firearms, Air Guns): No person except a sheriff, constable or police officer shall fire or discharge any firearms or air guns of any description within one thousand (1,000) yards of any building, street, sidewalk, alley, highway or other public place or have any firearms or air gun in his possession within one thousand (1,000) yards of any building, street, sidewalk, alley, highway or public place unless it is unloaded and knocked down or enclosed within a carrying case; provided, that this Section shall not prevent the maintenance and use of duly supervised rifle or pistol ranges or shooting galleries authorized by the City Council. This Section shall not prohibit the stocking of firearms by duly authorized dealers in the same.

Q: Someone told me that as long as I stay under the legal limit of .08 percent, I can't be arrested for driving under the influence. Is that correct?

A: No, that's not correct. You can still be arrested for DUI if the officer is able to articulate in his or her report that you were too impaired to operate a vehicle. People handle alcohol differently depending on their tolerance levels. Keep in mind also that the limit for commercial operations is .04 percent.

Q: I think our police officers are doing a wonderful job, and I can't believe some people in this town verbally abuse you.

A: Thank you for the nice comment. When we're verbally abused, it's usually because the person is intoxicated or is in a stressful situation with a family member. Sometimes it's both. You have to be thick-skinned to be a police officer. If you're not, you'll either get burned out and leave the profession after a few years or spend the better part of your career standing in front of the chief's desk.

Q: Do you treat women any differently when they want to fight you?

A: When I was young and foolish, I tried treating women with a softer and gentler touch. I learned the hard way that they can be just as dangerous as any man.

Q: Do you sometimes feel sorry for people you arrest?

A: Yes, I do. The ones I feel sorry for the most are arrest warrants, when the individual has never had any prior problems with law enforcement and simply forgot to go to court on a minor traffic violation. I'll go out of my way to let them post bail at the police department so they don't have to go to jail.

Q: I saw a Boulder City police car with its emergency lights on going toward the dam. Is that part of Boulder City?

A: No. They we were probably responding to assist National Park Service or Hoover Dam Police. If a neighboring agency asks for our assistance, we'll usually respond if we have an available officer. They do the same for us.

Weekly Statistics

Incident Reports — 58

Traffic Stops — 169

Citations Issued — 134

Adult Arrests— 34

Juvenile Arrests — 0

Animal Control Calls — 111

Randy Sibbett, a Boulder City patrol officer, can be contacted at [email protected].