Statewide crackdown on drunken driving begins Friday

Law enforcement agencies across the state will be out in force to combat drunken driving during the “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign from Friday, August 21 to September 7.

“Enforcement and educational efforts to prevent drunken driving, like the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign, have helped reduce deaths from alcohol-related crashes by approximately 51 percent and injuries by 55 percent over the last 10 years in Wisconsin,” says David Pabst, director of the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) Bureau of Transportation Safety.

To get drunken drivers off the road before they kill themselves or innocent victims, 23 impaired driving task forces have been created in Wisconsin that allow multiple agencies to coordinate and combine their resources for high-visibility enforcement efforts. Overtime for task force officers is covered by federal funding administered by the WisDOT Bureau of Transportation Safety.

Impaired driving task forces typically notify the public in advance of their enforcement initiatives as a deterrent to drunken driving. Roadside signage and vests on officers let the public know that intensified drunken driving enforcement is underway, according to Pabst.

“Law enforcement officers are well trained in identifying the signs of impaired driving, and they know where and when to look for drunken drivers,” Pabst says. “If drivers make the irresponsible and reckless decision to get behind the wheel while impaired, officers are ready to stop, test and arrest them. Last year, there were more than 24,000 convictions for operating while intoxicated in Wisconsin. However, our goal is to get people to drive sober, not to make more arrests.”

To help prevent drunken driving, WisDOT offers a free Drive Sober mobile app, which includes a find-a-ride feature that uses a smart phone’s GPS to locate alternative transportation, a blood alcohol estimator, designated driver selector, and interactive games that help determine whether drivers should give up their car keys. It was launched two years ago and more than 62,000 people are current users of the app, which can be downloaded for free by visiting: www.zeroinwisconsin.gov/resources/.

Impaired driving/operating while intoxicated (OWI) Task Forces with participating agencies:

Sheboygan County OWI Task Force

• Plymouth Police Department
• Sheboygan County Sheriff’s Office
• Sheboygan Police Department
• Elkhart Lake Police Department
• Kohler Police Department
• Wisconsin State Patrol

Brown County OWI Task Force

• Green Bay Police Department
• Brown County Sheriff’s Office
• DePere Police Department
• Ashwaubenon Public Safety
• Hobart-Lawrence Police Department
• Oneida Tribal Police Department
• Brown County Public Safety Commission
• Wisconsin State Patrol

Marinette County OWI Task Force

• Marinette County Sheriff’s Office
• Marinette Police Department

Polk County OWI Task Force

• Polk County Sheriff’s Office
• Amery Police Department
• Osceola Police Department
• Croix Falls Police Department
• Clear Lake Police Department
• Luck Police Department
• Clayton Police Department

Manitowoc OWI Task Force

• Manitowoc County Sheriff’s Department
• Manitowoc Police Department
• Two Rivers Police Department

Capital Area OWI Task Force

• DeForest Police Department
• Stoughton Police Department
• Maple Bluff Police Department
• Cottage Grove Police Department
• McFarland Police Department
• Verona Police Department
• Shorewood Hills Police Department
• Oregon Police Department
• Madison Police Department
• Town of Madison Police Department
• Sun Prairie Police Department
• Monona Police Department
• Wisconsin State Patrol

Milwaukee Southeast OWI Task Force

• Bayside Police Department
• Cudahy Police Department
• Fox Point Police Department
• Franklin Police Department
• Glendale Police Department
• Greendale Police Department
• Greenfield Police Department
• Hales Corner Police Department
• Hartland Police Department
• Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office
• Milwaukee Police Department
• Oak Creek Police Department
• River Hills Police Department
• Shorewood Police Department
• South Milwaukee Police Department
• Francis Police Department
• UW-Milwaukee Police Department
• Wauwatosa Police Department
• West Allis Police Department
• West Milwaukee Police Department
• Whitefish Bay Police Department

Waukesha Southeast OWI Task Force

• Big Bend Police Department
• Brookfield Police Department
• Town of Brookfield Police Department
• Chenequa Police Department
• Delafield Police Department
• Elm Grove Police Department
• Hartland Police Department
• Menomonee Falls Police Department
• Merton Town Lake Patrol
• Mukwonago Police Department
• Town of Mukwonago Police Department
• Muskego Police Department
• New Berlin Police Department
• Oconomowoc Police Department
• Town of Oconomowoc Police Department
• Pewaukee Police Department
• Summit Police Department
• Waukesha County Sheriff’s Office
• Waukesha Police Department

Rock County OWI Task Force

• Town of Beloit Police Department
• Evansville Police Department
• Edgerton Police Department
• Milton Police Department
• Town of Milton Police Department
• Janesville Police Department
• Rock County Sheriff’s Office

La Crosse Countywide OWI Task Force

• La Crosse County Sheriff’s Office
• La Crosse County Health Department
• La Crosse Police Department
• Bangor Police Department
• UW-La Crosse Police Department
• Onalaska Police Department
• Holmen Police Department

Racine County OWI Task Force

• Mount Pleasant Police Department
• Racine County Sheriff’s Office
• Racine Police Department
• Sturtevant Police Department
• Burlington Police Department
• Waterford Police Department
• Racine County Communication Center
• Wisconsin State Patrol

Crawford County OWI Task Force

• Crawford County Sheriff’s Department
• Prairie du Chien Police Department

Sheriff’s Traffic and OWI Patrols (STOP) Task Force

• Dane County Sheriff’s Office
• Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office
• Sauk County Sheriff’s Office
• Rock County Sheriff’s Office

Juneau Countywide Traffic Safety Task Force

• Elroy Police Department
• Mauston Police Department
• New Lisbon Police Department
• Juneau County Sheriff’s Department

Marathon County OWI Task Force

• Wausau Police Department
• Rothschild Police Department
• Kronenwetter Police Department
• Marathon County Sheriff’s Office

Walworth County OWI Task Force

• Walworth County Sheriff’s Office
• Town of Bloomfield Police Department
• Darien Police Department
• Delavan Police Department
• Town of Delavan Police Department
• East Troy Police Department
• Town of East Troy Police Department
• Elkhorn Police Department
• Fontana Police Department
• Lake Geneva Police Department
• Town of Geneva Police Department
• Genoa City Police Department
• Geneva Lake Police Department
• Lauderdale Lakes Law Enforcement Patrol
• Town of Linn Police Department
• Sharon Police Department
• Troy Township Water Patrol
• UW-Whitewater Police Department
• Walworth Police Department
• Williams Bay Police Department

Sauk County OWI Task Force

• Sauk County Sheriff’s Office
• Baraboo Police Department
• Lake Delton Police Department
• Sauk Prairie Police Department
• Reedsburg Police Department

Portage County OWI Task Force

• Portage County Sheriff’s Office
• Stevens Point Police Department
• Plover Police Department

Racine and Kenosha County SO OWI Task Force

• Racine County Sheriff’s Office
• Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office

Ozaukee County OWI Task Force

• Cedarburg Police Department
• Fredonia Police Department
• Grafton Police Department
• Mequon Police Department
• Port Washington Police Department
• Ozaukee County Sheriff’s Office

Mt. Pleasant PD and Caledonia PD OWI Task Force

• Mount Pleasant Police Department
• Caledonia Police Department

Wisconsin Dells PD and Lake Delton PD OWI Task Force

• Lake Delton Police Department
• Wisconsin Dells Police Department
• Columbia County Sheriff’s Office
• Columbus Police Department
• Lodi Police Department

Jefferson County SO and Jefferson PD OWI Task Force

• Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office
• Jefferson Police Department

Task Force contacts:

Sheboygan County OWI Task Force
Contact: Chris Ringel,  920-893-6541, ringel@wiplymouthpd.com

Brown County OWI Task Force
Contact: Karl Ackerman, 920-448-3217, KarlAc@greenbaywi.gov

Marinette County OWI Task Force
Contact: Kristi Yates, 715-732-7419, kyates@marinettecounty.com; Scott Reis, 715-732-5167, sries@marinette.wi.us

Polk County OWI Task Force
Contact: Sgt. Tim O’Hare, 715-485-8300, timo@co.polk.wi.us

Manitowoc OWI Task Force
Contact: Todd Cummings, 920-683-5000, toddcummings@co.manitowoc.wi.us

Capital Area OWI Task Force

Contact: Daniel Furseth, 608-846-6655, fursethd@vi.deforest.wi.us

Milwaukee Southeast OWI Task Force
Contact: Lt. Paul Brantman, 414-529-6140, pbrantman@hcpd.net

Waukesha Southeast OWI Task Force
Contact:  Lt. Robert Hagen, 262-646-6240, rhagen@ci.delafield.wi.us

Rock County OWI Task Force
Contact: Capt. Gary Groelle, 608-757-7906, GARY@co.rock.wi.us

La Crosse Countywide OWI Task Force
Contact: Lt. Patrick Hogan, 608-789-7208, hoganp@cityoflacrosse.org; Maichor Lee, 608-785-6235, mlee@lacrossecounty.org

Racine County OWI Task Force
Contact: Brian Smith, 262-664-7912, BSmith@mtpleasantwi.gov

Crawford County OWI Task Force
Contact: Deputy James Hackett, 608-326-8414, jhackett@crawfordcountywi.org

Sheriff’s Traffic and OWI Patrols (STOP) Task Force
Contact: Sgt. Jeff Heil, 608-284-6876, heil@danesheriff.com

Juneau Countywide Traffic Safety Task Force
Contact: Capt. Gary Pederson, 608-847-9517, jailcapt@co.juneau.wi.us

Marathon County OWI Task Force
Contact: Dwayne Dachel, 715-261-7800, dwayne.dachel@ci.wausau.wi.us

Walworth County OWI Task Force
Contact: Mark Roum, 262-741-4400, mroum@co.walworth.wi.us

Sauk County OWI Task Force
Contact: Chief Deputy Jeffery Spencer, 608-355-3527, jspencer@co.sauk.wi.us

Portage County OWI Task Force
Contact: Michael Morgan, 715-346-1400, morganm@co.portage.wi.us

Racine and Kenosha County SO OWI Task Force
Contact: David Coughlin, 262-636-3822, David.Coughlin@goRacine.org

Ozaukee County OWI Task Force
Contact: Christy Knowles, 262-284-7172, CDLAPA@co.ozaukee.wi.us

Mt. Pleasant PD and Caledonia PD OWI Task Force
Contact: Brian Smith, 262-664-7912, BSmith@mtpleasantwi.us

Wisconsin Dells PD and Lake Delton PD OWI Task Force
Contact: Lt. William Laughlin, 608-254-7571, wlaughlin@lakedeltonpd.org; Jody Ward, 608-253-1611, jward@wdpd.com

Jefferson County SO and Jefferson PD OWI Task Force
Contact:  Capt. Duane Scott, 920-674-7355, DuaneS@jeffersoncountywi.gov

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.