The Oklahoma City Police Department has been setting up checkpoints to crack down on unlicensed drivers. The stops are simple enough, you will wait in line and the police will ask to see your driver’s license. If you have it on you and show it, you will simply get to drive off, but if you are unable to produce your license then you will get a ticket.

However, a huge problem in the process was brought up in a story on NewsOK.com. The story reports “some drivers are given warnings; others are ticketed or arrested.” There should be no opportunity for leeway in such a situation; you either have your license or you don’t.

Even if someone had a license but happened to leave his or her wallet at home, they should be written a ticket. Some counties allow these types of tickets to be waived by presenting their valid driver’s license to the court within a certain number of days. So even if the ticket were to be eventually thrown out, the ticket needs to be given.

With such a black and white offense, we are left scratching our heads over about why police are handing out warnings. By allowing any sort of grey area in these sorts of situations, police are opening the door for preferential treatment — the very thing they should never be associated with.

The law leaves little room for interpretation.

We can even understand where the arrests are assessed. If you are stopped during the checkpoint and you have an open container, paraphernalia or any other illegal object then you will be arrested — and deservingly so. This is the driver’s fault for not following the law and he or she should be punished accordingly.

Every person who is unable to produce a valid drivers license should receive a ticket, no matter the excuse, race or gender; you either have a license or you don’t.

This situation is very similar to how the Norman Police Department sets up drunken driving checkpoints around Norman during the weekends. This is another clear-cut case of either breaking the law by being over the legal limit, or being free to go because you are sober.

Yes, drunken drivers are a greater threat to citizen’s safety, but unlicensed drivers also create many problems for law-abiding citizens. Unlicensed-drivers will not have insurance, meaning if they cause a car accident we will be out hundreds of dollars in car repairs — which is completely unfair to those of us who have gone through the proper steps to insure they are following the law.

By creating these checkpoints and carrying out the law, the Oklahoma City Police Department can protect themselves from a potentially dangerous situation where citizens could claim they are being profiled; when really they are breaking the law and are unfortunate enough to drive through the checkpoint.

The police department is merely doing their job and protecting citizens, but they need to make sure they are consistently delivering an equal punishment across the board in order to create equality among citizens. People who break the law deserve to be punished no matter what their excuse may be.

No more warnings, carry out the law as it is supposed to be done, and issue tickets.