DUI Arrest by the Bradenton Police

In 2022, the Bradenton Police Department conducted 58 DUI investigations. Most DUI arrests in Bradenton involve an officer with the Bradenton Police Department (BPD). These officers receive special training in conducting drunk and impaired driving investigations.

The most experienced DUI officers belong to the BPD Traffic Unit. The unit works to prevent crashes and enhance roadway safety through proactive enforcement. The BPD traffic unit includes one sergeant and three officers working alternating shifts.

These officers respond to traffic crashes, enforce speed limit violations, monitor school zones, and participate in the enforcement of laws related to drunk or impaired driving.

The BPD’s Traffic Unit officers are certified to conduct crash investigations involving serious bodily injury or death. These officers have special training in processing crash scenes and preserving evidence. In 2022, the Traffic Unit at the Bradenton Police Department investigated eight (8) fatal crashes (often called “traffic homicide investigations”).

The BPD received two grants to curb crash-related injuries and fatalities in 2022, including:

• $12,807 grant funded by the University of North Florida and the Florida Department of Transportation (DOT) supports the High Visibility Enforcement for Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety campaign; and
• $1,500 grant supports the Drug Recognition Evaluation Classification Program.

DUI enforcement officers in Bradenton and Manatee County, FL, often receive specialized training in D.U.I. Enforcement, Traffic Crash Reconstruction, and Traffic Homicide Investigation. You also need an attorney focused on DUI defense to spot issues that others might miss in your case.

Attorney for DUI Arrest in Bradenton, FL

If you were arrested for DUI by an officer with the Bradenton Police Department, contact an attorney at the Sammis Law Firm. We understand the unique procedures used by the BPD and its officers. Whether this is a first or second DUI arrest, we can help.

During the free and confidential consultation, we can find out what happened during the DUI investigation. We can explain important defenses that might help you get the charges dropped, dismissed, or reduced.

We can help you obtain a 42-day permit so you can keep driving to work, school, and church while we fight the administrative suspension. We can also represent you in court.

Don’t face the judge alone. Contact an experienced DUI defense attorney for DUI in Manatee County, FL.

Call 813-250-0500 today.

Standard Operating Procedures for DUI Arrests by BPD

The BPD uses a DUI packet that contains an Implied Consent Section that provides the following warning to the DUI investigating officer:

IMPLIED CONSENT – STOP! – DO NOT PROCEED FURTHER UNTIL THE FOLLOWING CRITERIA HAS BEEN MET.

1. THE DEFENDANT HAS BEEN PLACED UNDER ARREST FOR D.U.I.; AND
2. THE DEFENDANT IS AT THE MANATEE COUNTY JAIL BREATH TESTING ROOM; OR
3. THE DEFENDANT IS AT AN APPROVED BREATH TESTING INSTRUMENT.

ONCE AT THE MANATEE COUNTY JAIL OR APPROVED BERATH TESTING INSTRUMENT, PROCEED TO THE NEXT SECTION AND BEGIN THE 20 MINUTE OBSERVATION.

The DUI Packet used by the Bradenton Police Department contains a worksheet that has a list of breath test questions, including:

1. Do you have diabetes?
   • If yes, do you take insulin? | | YES | | NO
2. Are you ill?
   • If yes, what’s wrong?
3. Are you presently taking any oral medication?
   • If yes, what type, date, and time of the last dosage?
4. Are you presently wearing dentures (false teeth) or a partial plate?
   • If yes, is it upper or lower?
   •  If yes, have the defendant remove the plate or dentures and rinse the mouth with clear water.
   • If not removable, still rinse your mouth with clear water and start the 20-minute observation.
5. Do you have any foreign substance in your mouth at this time?
   • Chewing gum, tobacco, coins, etc.?
   • If yes, have the defendant remove the substance and rinse their mouth with clear water. Then start the 20-minute observation.

The DUI packet used by officers with the Bradenton Police Department contains a worksheet for the 20-minute observation period before the DUI breath test, which provides:

• Was the defendant reading Miranda prior to the test?
  • If yes, by whom and when? (Officer Name, Agency, ID #)
• Did the defendant request to speak with an attorney?
• Did the defendant request to use the restroom during the 20 minute observation period?
  • If yes, and the defendant used the restroom, record the time when the 20-minute observation period was restarted.
• Did the defendant burp, belch, vomit or put any foreign substance in his/her mouth?
  • If yes, have the defendant rinse their mouth with clear water and record the time when the 20-minute observation period was restarted.
• What time did the 20-minute observation period start?
• Was the 20-minute observation period interrupted?
  • If yes, what was the reason for the interruption?
  • If yes, what was the length of the interruption?
  • If restarted, list the time that the 20-minute observation restarted.
• List any observations, comments, or statements made by the defendant before, during, or after the breath test: ______.

Contact Information for the Bradenton Police Department

The address of the Bradenton Police Department is 100 10th Street W. Bradenton, FL 34205. The non-emergency phone number of BPD is (941) 932-9300. For more information, visit their website: www.BradentonPD.com. The lobby is open from 6:30 a.m. until 10 pm. each day.

History of DUI Enforcement by Bradenton Police Department

In 2017, the Bradenton Police Department was awarded $35,000 from the Florida Department of Transportation (DOT) to implement enforcement campaigns targeting DUI Operations, Educational Programs, and Outreach. The funds cover a minimum of 20 high-visibility enforcement campaigns designed to reduce impaired-driving crashes, injuries, and fatalities and conduct alcohol vendor enforcement within the City of Bradenton.

Much of the money will be used for targeted enforcement of DUI laws through high visibility impaired driving saturation patrols.

From 2014 to 2016, Manatee County experienced an increase of 10.86% in traffic crashes, according to Florida’s Integrated Report Exchange System (FIRES Portal). The City of Bradenton is Manatee County’s largest incorporated city, with 55,000 permanent residents across 16 square miles.

Additional Resources

Traffic Unit of the Bradenton Police Department – The Bradenton Police Department’s Traffic Unit includes two officers and one sergeant who focuses on enforcing traffic laws, traffic crash investigations, and the enforcement of Florida’s DUI statutes. These officers engage in enforcement details, directed at areas within the City of Bradenton that have been determined to be problematic traffic areas. Bradenton County Traffic Unit members utilize unmarked vehicles and marked motorcycles. The Traffic Unit identifies dangerous roads and intersections through citizen complaints, officers’ observations, and statistical data from crash reports. Traffic officers are deployed to these problem areas in an attempt to curb traffic violations and prevent major vehicle crashes from occurring. In 2015, the Traffic Unit issued 931 Uniform Traffic Citations. The Patrol and Patrol Support Division personnel issued 2,967 Uniform Traffic Citations.

This article was last updated on Tuesday, February 20, 2024.