CPD promotes 'You Drink & Drive. You Lose' campaign
CPD made seven DWI arrests over the weekend.
Published March 16, 2010
The Columbia Police Department made seven arrests for driving while intoxicated over the weekend during a DWI traffic enforcement, CPD spokeswoman Jessie Haden said.
The enforcement was for the "You Drink & Drive. You Lose" campaign, a CPD news release stated. Extra officers were dedicated to arresting intoxicated drivers from 11 p.m. to 4 a.m. Friday through Sunday throughout Columbia. A grant from the Missouri Department of Transportation Highway Safety Division and the Missouri Safety Center funded the extra patrol.
MoDOT also funded overtime hours the extra officers put into the enforcement. During the total grant-funded overtime results, officers stopped 25 cars, made three minor in possession arrests and one drug arrest, Haden said in an e-mail. Five of the seven DWI arrests were during grant-funded overtime hours.
CPD did the enforcement over the weekend as a way to prepare for St. Patrick's Day, Haden said.
"It's sort of like doing firework enforcement before the Fourth of July," Haden said. "You would rather do enforcement prior to that. This is the same approach."
According to the news release, police want to remind drivers about the consequences of drunk driving. For the first offense, there is an automatic 30-day driver's license suspension. A second offense might result in a $1,000 fine, and a third offense can result in up to seven years in jail, the release stated.
Haden said the department hopes the enforcement and possible consequences will have people thinking twice before driving while intoxicated, especially before St. Patrick's Day.
"We wanted to let folks know we're out there," Haden said. "We will be out there on Wednesday. Hopefully now this will get (people) thinking a few days ahead."
Haden also said there were stops during the enforcement where drivers were intoxicated but not over the legal limit. Officers could not make arrests for those but did advise the drivers to pull over and get transportation from a sober driver.
"It's a win-win situation when we can make those types of contact," Haden said.
The Boone County Sheriff's Department also participated in the "You Drink & Drive. You Lose," campaign in Boone County over the weekend, a sheriff's department news release stated. The sheriff's department also received funding from MoDOT for the increased enforcement, which enabled deputies to work extra shifts.