Guest Blog by Carl McDonald-MADD National Law Enforcement Initiative Manager

Recently a television show starring Steven Segal comes to our attention because it allegedly portrays law enforcement officers giving breaks to drunk driving offenders. The name of the show is “The Lawman” and it’s airing on the A&E Network.

I’ve looked at three episodes and I am stunned. This is a “reality” show based on Segal riding shotgun on some sort of mall-cop party patrol with the good old boys down in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana where it appears the sheriff’s deputies are behaving more like middle school hall monitors than law enforcement officers.

We support our law enforcement officers nationwide. It’s a natural partnership for us and them. However, partnerships are two-way streets and the portrayal of “law enforcement” seen on this show is some sort of relic from over 30 years ago when drunk driving was exacting the heaviest toll on our nation’s roadways. This isn’t law enforcement, this is a joke.

In three separate episodes, three different occasions arise where officers come in contact with impaired drivers – one involving a fairly serious injury collision complete with a witness from the bar the driver just vacated before overturning his car and ejecting his friend during the rollover. These guardians of the law failed to request blood tests on the driver.

I might think that was an editing error until we focus in on two more people who are deemed “too drunk to drive” by these clowns, but allowed to leave in a taxi or walk away without standardized field sobriety testing and without proper arrest decisions being attempted.

I called Colonel Fortunado of the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office and spoke to him about the behavior evidenced during these episodes. He spoke to me about “officer’s discretion” and the lack of state troopers available to evaluate the drivers, while assuring me that they make an arrest of a “really drunk guy” in a future episode.

I’m sure they do. No doubt they have to…because we are watching.

Drunk Driving Laws Only Good if Enforced

If you have ever caught The Lawman on cable television, it is pretty interesting. The real life war that cops face every day and night on the road. MADD works with enforcement across the country and praises them most of the time.

We were alarmed to see a couple of episodes show drunk drivers being let go. While we get it is meant to entertain and watching a drunk guy talk about how Steven Seagal couldn't beat Jackie "Shan" in funny, it is not funny that the enforcement team never tested the driver or used police training for establishing cause to test. There were all kinds of signs that should have warranted a breath or blood test and none were given.

This is the wrong message to be sent 30 years after our country declared a war on drunk driving. The aim should be: find, arrest and convict drunk drivers or they will find and possibly kill or injure you. MADD is disappointed because real lawmen don't tell drunk drivers to walk it off or get a ride home. We've been in touch with their team and have shared our concerns as well as those of others that have called us about our POV.