DUI Checkpoints & Crime on the Road, Sobriety Checkpoints

“100 Days of Heat” DUI Enforcement Fires up for the Fourth of July Weekend

Denver – Thousands of drivers will take to the roads this Fourth of July weekend for festivities across the state, and Colorado law enforcement agencies are firing up plans for increased DUI patrols and sobriety checkpoints to help keep motorists safe from impaired drivers. The effort is part of the summer-long “100 Days of Heat” campaign, an intensive DUI enforcement effort that continues through Labor Day.

“The Fourth of July is a time to celebrate our country’s freedom, but ironically many people will jeopardize their freedom and put others at risk by drinking and driving,” said Col. James Wolfinbarger, chief of the Colorado State Patrol. “We will be out throughout the holiday weekend to protect Coloradan’s right to safe and sober roadways. Enjoy the holiday, but please remember to designate a sober driver and always buckle up.”

The risk of alcohol-related traffic crashes often escalates over the Fourth of July weekend, with people across the state gathering for fireworks, backyard barbeques, attending sporting events and going to Colorado State Parks for picnics and boating.

“Boating and booze don’t mix,” said Kris Wahlers, special investigator with Colorado State Parks. “If you are drinking alcohol on our lakes, reservoirs and rivers, you are greatly increasing the risk of injury or death in a water-related accident. Our rangers will be on the lookout for impaired boaters, and if you’re over the legal limit while operating a watercraft, you will be arrested and charged with a BUI. We want everyone to enjoy the beauty of Colorado by land and water, but do so safely.”

The new high-stakes gaming limits and 24-hour-gambling that go into effect July 2nd also mean more people will be traveling to and from Black Hawk, Central City and Cripple Creek. Law enforcement agencies in those areas plan to be out in force.

“We will conduct increased patrols and saturation patrols along Highways 67 and 24 throughout the holiday weekend,” said Corp. Andrew Baker, Teller County Sheriff’s Office. “We want to warn all gamblers that we have a zero tolerance for drinking and driving. If they are planning on drinking alcohol, they should plan ahead by designating a sober driver or making reservations to spend the night.”

Since the “100 days of Heat” campaign kicked off on Memorial Weekend, statewide law enforcement agencies have made more than 832 DUI arrests, including 233 arrests made at sobriety checkpoints. Preliminary reports indicate that at least nine people were killed in alcohol-related crashes between May 22 and June 29, 2009. During that same time period last year, 21 people were killed in alcohol-related crashes.

“We certainly hope that the intensive ‘Heat Is On’ enforcement over the past 30 days is having an impact on lowering the number of people killed by drunk drivers in Colorado,” said Michael Nugent, manager of the Office of Transportation Safety at CDOT. “But in order to save more lives, there must continue to be a shift in public perception that impaired driving is a crime that is unacceptable.”

With 70 days remaining in the “100 Days of Heat” campaign, law enforcement continue to work overtime conducting checkpoints, saturation patrols and increased patrols on roadways. Law enforcement agencies have filed the following plans for the Fourth of July enforcement period, which begins at 6 p.m. July 2nd and ends at 3 a.m. on July 6th.

Sobriety Checkpoints

July 2nd
• Denver PD – Roving checkpoints.

July 3rd
• Colorado Springs PD and CSP Troop 2-B – Traditional checkpoint.
• El Paso County SO – traditional checkpoint.
• Weld County DUI Task Force, including CSP Troop 3-A, Weld County SO, Ft. Lupton PD and the University of Northern Colorado PD.

July 4th
• CSP Troop 4-A Fruita, along with Grand Junction PD & Mesa County SO – traditional checkpoint.
• CSP Troop 4-B Craig, along with Rio Blanco County SO – traditional checkpoint.

July 5th
• Larimer County DUI Task Force, including Larimer County SO, Loveland PD and Larimer County Parks and Open Lands – Roving checkpoints near water recreation areas.
• Jefferson County SO and Lakewood PD – roving checkpoints.

Increased Patrols

Alamosa PD
Arvada PD
Auraria Campus PD
Basalt PD
Boulder County SO
Boulder PD
Cedaredge PD
Cherry Hills PD
Colorado Springs PD
Cortez PD
CSP Troop 1-A Limon
CSP Troop 1-D Adams
CSP Troop 2-A Canon City
CSP Troop 2-B Colo Spgs.
CSP Troop 4-C Glenwood

CSP Troop 5-A Durango
CSP Troop 5-B Alamosa
CSP Troop 6-A Golden
CSP Troop 6-C Broomfield
Durango PD
Erie PD
Estes Park PD
Evans PD
Fountain PD
Fremont County SO
Gilpin County SO
Glenwood Springs PD
Gunnison PD
Kiowa PD
Lamar PD

Larimer County SO
Leadville PD
Logan County SO
Loveland PD
Milliken PD
Monument PD
Northglenn PD
Platteville PD
Saguache County SO
Sanford PD
Simla PD
Steamboat Springs PD
Washington County SO
Weld County SO

Saturation Patrols

Arapahoe County SO
Aurora PD
Avon PD
Chaffee County SO
Commerce City PD
Crested Butte MO
CSP Troop 1-C Castle Rock
CSP Troop 2-C Lamar
CSP Troop 2-D Pueblo
CSP Troop 3-A Greeley
CSP Troop 3-B Sterling

CSP Troop 2-C Fort Collins
CSP Troop 6-B Frisco
CSP Troop 5-C Montrose
CSP Troop 6-D Gaming
Denver PD
Douglas County SO
Edgewater PD
Elbert County SO
Grand Junction PD
Greenwood Village PD
Jefferson County SO

Lafayette PD
Las Animas County SO
Littleton PD
Mesa County SO
Montezuma County SO
Parker PD
Pitkin County SO
Pueblo County SO
Steamboat Springs PD
Summit County SO
Teller County SO

Sobriety Checkpoints
July 2nd
• Denver PD – Roving checkpoints.

July 3rd
• Colorado Springs PD and CSP Troop 2-B – Traditional checkpoint.
• El Paso County SO – traditional checkpoint.
• Weld County DUI Task Force, including CSP Troop 3-A, Weld County SO, Ft. Lupton PD and the University of Northern Colorado PD.

July 4th
• CSP Troop 4-A Fruita, along with Grand Junction PD & Mesa County SO – traditional checkpoint.
• CSP Troop 4-B Craig, along with Rio Blanco County SO – traditional checkpoint.

July 5th
• Larimer County DUI Task Force, including Larimer County SO, Loveland PD and Larimer County Parks and Open Lands – Roving checkpoints near water recreation areas.
• Jefferson County SO and Lakewood PD – roving checkpoints.

Detailed enforcement plans may also be found at www.dot.state.co.us/trafficsafety/. Click Reports on the header. Choose Enforcement Period Plans and then select July 4th Weekend 2009.
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