Minnesota Suspends Use of DataMaster Breath Tests
Law enforcement agencies in Minnesota have been ordered to immediately suspend use of certain breath testing equipment due to errors found in the DataMaster breath test machines.
The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) has instructed agencies to verify that information has been entered correctly into the machines.
- The BCA has suspended all DataMaster usage until agencies can confirm the accuracy of gas cylinder data in each instrument.
- Human error is possible with the current process, so the BCA will take over all gas cylinder replacements and maintenance.
Only BCA personnel will handle these tasks from now on.
This decision comes after officials discovered multiple data entry mistakes made by trained operators when installing gas cylinders in the instruments.
Author's summary: Minnesota suspends breath tests due to equipment errors.