For Meridian Township Police Officer Lana Howell, “on duty”, usually happens between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., oh and behind a desk.
Recently, she traded in her day job for a run at night shift, searching for drunk drivers throughout the township. Howell took part in the increased road patrol period through an alcohol enforcement grant she says is meant “to keep the streets safer”.
Howell’s task was more of a challenge than would have been for most officers. Why? Well, since she’s worked in the Detective’s Bureau for nearly two years, she is no longer certified to use her radar.
In the state of Michigan, police officers are required to have a reason for pulling a driver over.
As Howell explained, this means she’d have to spend her 8-hour shift looking for, “equipment violations, headlights out, taillights out, people who are driving erratically or not using their turn signals”, in order to make a traffic stop and possible drunk driver arrest.
Despite the challenge, Officer Howell had a steady night. Focal Point’s Jazmin Bailey was there for the entire shift and she takes you inside for a behind the scenes look.