DWI suppression efforts working, sheriff says.
Checkpoints in December and January turned up stolen vehicles, drugs, fugitives, and multiple traffic violations, but the sheriff’s office did not arrest a single impaired driver during the Holiday Booze It and Lose It campaign.
“The numbers do not lie,” Sheriff Jody Greene said in a press release. “The fact that not one DWI was issued during these checking stations is proof that they are effective.”
The Columbus County Sheriff’s Office worked with multiple other agencies during the recent campaign to hold checking stations across the county. The checkpoints were set up in different areas of the county, targeting high traffic areas. The county also worked with the DHHS Mobile Forensic unit’s BATmobile to speed up processing of suspects at several of the checkpoints.
The BATmobile has blood alcohol testing stations, work space for officers to complete paperwork, and a magistrate’s office.
Saturation patrols also played a part in the program, which officially ran from Dec. 13 through Jan. 2.
The Christmas- New Year’s season is traditionally one of the busiest times for driving while impaired arrests.
While other agencies did make DWI arrests during the month, no legally impaired drivers were picked up during the large-scale enforcement effort.
Deputies and officers from cooperating agencies did make a total of 280 arrests and citations during the campaign, the sheriff’s office reported. Among those were
• 23 wanted persons
• 31 driving while license revoked
• 10 uninsured motorists
• Four child safety violations
• three reckless driving
• 54 drug violations
• 12 felony arrests
• 95 other traffic violations
• 21 criminal violations
Greene said the success of the strategy means the CCSO will continue its efforts on the highways.
“We will focus on high crime areas, while also including random locations throughout the county,” Greene said. “The deaths caused by motor vehicle violations and operators need to be taken seriously.”
Greene also had a message for violators who missed the traffic checkpoints during the holiday season.
“The goal of this enforcement effort was to stop impaired drivers and to ensure compliance of the motor vehicle codes,” he said. “If you are not in compliance of the laws and are continuously operating a motor vehicle illegally and missed seeing us during last year’s campaigns, don’t worry. We will see you in 2022.”
