Police Plan Super Bowl DUI Patrol

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Super Bowl Sunday is a huge eating and drinking day nationwide. It’s also a big day for authorities to crack down on drunk driving. A number of law enforcement agencies are planning on stepping up their patrols on Sunday.

Mike Thompson like many already has plans for this Sunday’s big football game between the Patriots and Seahawks.

The Fargo resident says, “Yeah, I’m gonna go out for the Super Bowl. I’m going to Dempsey’s and I’m gonna get all you can eat for $5. I’ve been doing it for years.”

Mike plans on playing it safe this year by choosing a soft drink instead of alcohol.

Thompson says, “I usually just drink coke though”…”I had my fill of it when I was young. Sometimes we have to grow–up.”

But for others who are choosing to drink, area police departments are planning their extra patrols.

Moorhead Police Lt. Troy Jacobson says, “Through the TZD (Toward Zero Death) program we have grant funding to the department specifically for officers to go out and patrol and enforce driving laws and to make the roads safer.”  

Fargo Police Lt. Joel Vettel says, “RAID shifts is a saturation type of patrol where we utilize officers strictly designated to be out on the streets and trying to locate people who are driving under the influence of alcohol and they will make those arrests.”

Your eyes can also help keep our roads safe as well.

Jacobson adds, “It isn’t uncommon for somebody to contact our dispatch and provide a license plate and a location and maybe a following of a vehicle.”

Vettel adds, “Maybe people failing to stop at stop lights. People doing excess speeds. Speeding through residential neighborhoods. People driving along without their lights on in the middle of the night.”

So you’ve had a fun night out drinking and you should not be driving home. There are other alternatives for you to get home…Taxi!?

It’s not a problem for Mike.  He only lives a few blocks from where he’ll be watching the Super Bowl but if he lived further that’s another story.

The New England Patriots hopeful adds, “I would just stay home.”

Police say you can help your party guests by having a ride available for those who over consume.