Crackdown on impaired drivers set Saturday
BY ZACK STOYCOFF World Staff Writer
Thursday, August 23, 2012
8/23/12 at 12:29 PM
More than 100 law enforcement officers from 10 agencies will saturate Tulsa County roads Saturday as part of a nationwide crackdown on impaired driving, authorities said.
The crackdown, dubbed "Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over," began Aug. 17 and will continue through Sept. 3, but Saturday will mark an unprecedented show of force in Tulsa County, police said.
Officers will be patrolling for drunken drivers in every city and rural area, police said.
"All too often, innocent, law-abiding people suffer tragic consequences and the loss of loved ones due to this careless disregard for human life," Tulsa police said in a press release. "Because we are committed to ending the carnage, we're reaffirming our enforcement during this crackdown."
The crackdown is aimed at reducing traffic deaths as a result of driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol, particularly during Labor Day weekend.
Nearly 10,300 people died nationwide in 2010 in alcohol-related traffic wrecks, Tulsa police said.
Police in Bixby, Broken Arrow, Collinsville, Jenks, Sand Springs, Skiatook, Sperry and Tulsa will join the crackdown, along with the Tulsa County Sheriff's Office and the Oklahoma Highway Patrol.
Police officers and agents of the Alcoholic Beverage Laws Enforcement Commission will also check bars Saturday for compliance with liquor laws.
Tulsa Police Chief Chuck Jordan, Tulsa County Undersheriff Tim Albin, Broken Arrow Police Chief David Boggs and the District Attorney Office's chief criminal prosecutor are slated to speak at a press conference about the crackdown Saturday.
The Oklahoma Highway Safety Office is funding much of each agency's cost for the crackdown, police said.
Associated Images:
Law enforcement officers in Tulsa County will be patrolling for drunken drivers in every city and rural area through Labor Day. STEPHEN PINGRY/Tulsa World file
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