The Ohio State Highway Patrol says that it plans to set up two OVI checkpoints in Trumbull County tonight.

 In conjunction with the Brookfield Township Police Department, one of the checkpoints will be on State Route 7.

Niles police will join troopers on U.S. Route 422 for the second checkpoint.

The highway patrol does not give more specific locations for the checkpoints, but say they will be held between 10:00 p.m. tonight and 3:00 a.m. tomorrow morning.

The OVI checkpoint, funded by federal grant funds, is planned to deter and intercept impaired drivers.

The checkpoints will also be held in conjunction with nearby saturation patrols to aggressively combat alcohol-related injury and fatal crashes.

On June 14, 1990, the United State Supreme Court reviewed and upheld the use of sobriety checkpoints as a valid enforcement tool if operated within guidelines.

The first and perhaps the most important requirement for the establishment of a sobriety checkpoint is that the site of the check must have a long term history of alcohol-related crashes and/or incidents of impaired driving. This test establishes the need for these extraordinary deterrent efforts.

After the agency establishes the need, administrators must begin the process of planning and organizing this rather substantial undertaking. Once the logistical, staffing, and operational needs have been addressed, the actual process of conducting a sobriety checkpoint can begin.

About a week before the checkpoint is conducted, public notice is given that the checkpoint will be established. At this stage of the public advisory process, it is only necessary to provide a general date, time, and location for the event. Although general, it has begun to focus on the problem area.

A final advisory is issued by a checkpoint administrator a few hours before the site is established and the screening for alcohol or drug-impaired drivers begins. This advisory gives the exact location and tells when the checkpoint operation will begin and end.