Police in East Earl Township, about an hour's drive west of Philadelphia, have a brand new tool in the fight against drunk driving, as reported by Lancaster Online. East Earl Twp. police chief Kevin McCarthy said his department's new DataMaster DMT is one of only eight in the state.
And after all six of the department's full-time officers were trained through a 32-hour course, each is qualified to operate the high-tech alcohol-sniffing machine:
"We're probably one of the few or only police departments in Pennsylvania that has every full-time officer certified to operate the testing equipment."
So what's the big deal with DataMaster DMT?
Most Philadelphia DUI lawyers could explain in detail, but it's essentially a more accurate and portable alcohol-detection device that also has several bells and whistles not found on a standard breathalyzer machine. But perhaps the most important thing to know is that its intended to help prosecutors better make their case against DUI defendants.
If you're reading this blog, that probably means you or someone you know.
The Datamaster DMT, about the size of a brief case and consisting of an embedded PC, employs real-time graphics displaying the test subject's breath profile and alcohol curve, according to the Web site of manufacturer National Patent Analytical Systems Inc. It also provides full-color printouts of the test results, perhaps to be used as part of the police report.
It's also more than 200 times faster than existing technology, at least according to the company's Web site.
But perhaps most important for police and prosecutors is the purported accuracy of the device. According to the company, which claims the DMT can record blood-alcohol concentrations as low as 0.001 percent, it is the highest accuracy specification in the industry.
The $7,000 device was paid for from a grant secured through the office of state Rep. Gordon Denlinger. And if you're convicted of a DUI (or plead guilty) in East Earl Twp., you'll be billed $135 to cover its cost and maintenance.
Don't say we didn't warn you.
Related Resources:
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Contact a Philadelphia DUI Attorney (FindLaw)
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Breathalyzer Testing Questioned, Again, In Florida (FindLaw's KnowledgeBase)
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