Police are going to be out in force this weekend!

The Police Department is stepping up its efforts to prevent drunken driving this weekend in the downtown entertainment district as the return of University of Texas students, Longhorn football and the holiday attracts more people.

After finding that nine of the past 10 fatal crashes in Austin involved drug or alcohol impairment by the driver, the department decided to launch “Operation Summer’s End.”

Starting this weekend, specialized police units — including the mobile alcohol Breathalyzer and the Air One traffic helicopter — will team up with the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission to target aggressive driving and underage drinking.

By raising awareness of the crackdown on drunken driving, police hope for more compliance from people who are out and about this weekend, he said. “Alcohol and aggressive driving add up to people getting hurt, and we don’t want that,” said Lt. Kenneth Cannaday.

Click here for the full story in the Austin American Statesman

Posted in News | Comments Off