The first Intoxilyzer 9000 breath alcohol tester was delivered to the SCMPD Traffic Unit thanks to the grant from the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety.
Metro police currently use seven earlier versions of the equipment to perform breath alcohol level testing, but the technology of those machines cannot meet evolving legal demands. And, replacement parts for the older machines have become an issue.
Consequently, use of the elder machines will cease to be legal in 2016.
Besides conforming to evolving legal requirements, the 9000 offers innovations including the ability to perform its own calibration checks, download test information to a centralized server and print them on standard printers. Updating software can be performed from a centralized server, rather than replacing parts of the operating CPU. And the 9000 will be easier for officers to use.
Metro Police continue to work on replacing the other machines, but SCMPD’s membership in the Southeastern Traffic Enforcement Network qualified it to apply for the governor’s grant for the first one. The Traffic Unit expects to have the new unit online Oct. 1.
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