LANSING, Mich. — Michigan State Police are suspending the use of its breathalyzer tests as they investigate potential fraud.
MSP says the vendor in charge of servicing devices had “performance-related issues,” but after digging further found the company may have falsified certification records for the devices.
Authorities say they don’t believe those records impacted the results of the tests, but they will stop using them until they can ensure each device is properly calibrated.
A letter was written to police and prosecutors statewide on Friday that alerted them about the problems with the devices. It didn’t specify how the problems were found but attorneys raised concerns about it impacting drunk driving cases if the breathalyzer’s readings were flawed.
Investigators are still trying to determine how many records were falsified and for how long it has been happening.
MSP is still working through the review of records, but have identified issues at several locations, including three in West Michigan: Montcalm County Sheriff’s Department, Nile Police Department and Van Buren County Sheriff’s Department.
