Enforcement

increased by

local and state agencies



By RUTH HEIDE

ALAMOSA — The number of alcohol-related fatalities in the Alamosa area is declining, and law enforcement officers want to keep it that way.

Alamosa city and county law enforcement officers are joining the Colorado State Patrol and law enforcement departments across the nation today (Aug. 15) in an intensive 18-day campaign to crack down on drunk drivers.

The campaign, “Drunk Driving. Over the Limit. Under Arrest,” will continue through the Labor Day weekend and culminate on Tuesday morning, Sept. 2.

This is a time when people are wrapping up summer vacation trips, going back to school and enjoying the last holiday of the summer, Labor Day.

Annually the number of alcohol-related fatal crashes in Alamosa County has declined from 3 in 2002 and 9 in 2003 to 1 each year from 2004 to 2007.

Alamosa County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Mark Thompson said during the last saturation patrol he stopped one car in which the driver apologized for not being DUI (driving under the influence). He told the driver he would rather pull over 100 cars with designated drivers than one drunk driver.

“That tells us the education law enforcement is putting out and the state is putting out is actually sinking in,” Thompson said. “Unfortunately we will have those people that don’t care. If we can get those guys off the road - hopefully we do - we can make the roads a little safer for everybody in the community.”

He said he believed the education was working among the college students as well because the last few times he has stopped college-age young people, “it was a sober person that was driving the car.”

Alamosa Police Department Sergeant Ron Rogers said the Alamosa police, sheriff and mental health center are working together to prevent underage drinking. “We are trying to stop it before it starts,” he said.

He added that the message law enforcement is trying to get out is: “It’s OK to drink but not when you are underage and not when you are driving.”

Rogers said the police department’s plans for the 18-day anti-drunk-driving campaign include saturation patrols involving increased numbers of patrol officers especially on weekends specifically assigned to impaired driving enforcement.

Thompson added that the sheriff’s department would be conducting similar operations during this time, increasing patrol officers for saturation patrols on specific nights for DUI and DUID enforcement.

John Hall, consultant with the Colorado Department of Transportation, said the drunk driving mobilization is a nationwide campaign, and within Colorado more than 65 agencies received grant funding to pay overtime for additional officers during the time period between August 15 and September 2.

Hall said during that same time period last year the state logged 16 alcohol-related fatalities. That equated to nearly one every day. Altogether in 2007, 226 people died in alcohol-related traffic crashes in Colorado.

Hall said he does not consider alcohol-related crashes accidents because people have made the choice to drink before they got into their vehicles. “Whenever there’s a crash we call it a crash, not an accident. It’s not really an accident. Somebody made a choice that led to it when it’s alcohol related.” He added that alcohol-related fatalities are avoidable because drinking and driving is a choice.

Rogers said alcohol is not only a factor in traffic crashes but in probably 40-50 percent of other crimes such as assaults and property damage.

Hall said 11 percent or 1 of every 10 drivers age 21 and older has a DUI on his/her record and 9-10 percent of drivers under the age of 21 also have DUI’s on their records.

Rogers said that L.E.A.F., which funds ongoing DUI enforcement, requires law enforcement to participate in at least eight DUI enforcement saturation periods throughout the year such as New Year’s Eve, Memorial Day and Labor Day. He said the goal of these increased patrols is to deter drunk driving and prevent alcohol-related crashes.

Rogers said that in addition to DUI enforcement officers the Alamosa Police Department has “party patrol” officers who try to stop alcohol-related problems before they get started.

In addition, the APD is working with local merchants in a “cops and shops” program where off duty officers will go undercover into establishments to help spot those who are underage trying to buy alcohol or those trying to buy alcohol for underage persons.

“Personally from my viewpoint I would like to see us go out there with saturation patrols and be as proactive as we can and not come up with a single DUI,” Thompson said.