CLEARWATER POLICE SATURATE HIGHWAYS
IDENTIFYING/ARRESTING IMPAIRED DRIVERS

In conjunction with the on-going nationwide traffic safety campaign known as “You Drink & Drive, You Lose,” the Clearwater Police Department will conduct a series of high-profile, strict enforcement safety operations leading up to and throughout the coming Labor Day holiday.

These highway safety operations will consist of DUI “saturation patrols” at designated high-volume traffic areas, as Officers aggressively identify and arrest impaired drivers, according to Lieutenant Michael Waters, CPD’s Traffic Section Commander.

“Along with law enforcement agencies across the country, we’re dedicating a lot of manpower and resources to making the roadways safer during the Labor Day holiday,” Lt. Waters said. “Clearwater Officers will be out in force, and we’ll be actively seeking out impaired drivers. If we determine a driver is impaired, there’ll be no warnings, just free rides - in handcuffs - to the county jail.”

Areas that Clearwater Police will target are:

Friday, August 26: Along Gulf-to-Bay Boulevard, between U.S. Highway 19 North and Hercules Avenue; along U.S. 19, between Drew Street and Nursery Road;

Saturday, August 27: Along Gulf-to-Bay Boulevard, between U.S. 19 and Bayshore Boulevard; along the Memorial Causeway (connecting Clearwater’s mainland to the island communities), between Drew Street and Island Way;

Saturday, September 3: Along Memorial Causeway, between Drew Street and Island Way; Along U.S.19, between Sunset Point Road and Harn Boulevard;

Sunday, September 4: Along U.S.19, between Sunset Point Road and Harn Boulevard; along the Memorial Causeway, between Drew Street and Island Way.

In addition to the Patrol Division Officers who regularly patrol the city’s roadways, Traffic Section specialists will be out in large numbers each of the coming weekends, conducting strict enforcement of all traffic laws, in addition to searching out impaired drivers.

“We’re hoping the Tampa Bay area media sees fit to publicize when and where we’re planning to be most active, and to let the public know what we’re doing, and why” Lt. Waters said. “Our intention is to make the roadways safer. If people don’t drive because they’ve been drinking and know we’re out there looking for them, then we’ve accomplished our mission without having to jail them.”

For additional details about the safety enforcement operation, please call Sergeant Bob Wierzba at (727) 562-4338.

/s/ Sgt. Robert Wierzba
Traffic Enforcement Team Supervisor