PIKES PEAK REGION DUI TASK FORCE NEWS RELEASE

Contact:
Sergeant L R Smith
Colorado State Patrol
719-544-2424
Lloyd.Smith@cdps.state.co.us
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Date: 01-11-2009     Time: 12:00 p.m.

Law enforcement officers from across the county meet with deputy district attorneys for recognition, training and a ride along DUI saturation patrol resulting in 10 DUI arrests

COLORADO SPRINGS – On Friday night, January 8, 2010, seventy-six representatives from the Colorado State Patrol, El Paso County Sheriff’s Office, Colorado Springs Police Department, Fountain Police Department, Pikes Peak Community College Police Department and deputy district attorneys from the fourth judicial district met for an evening of training followed by a 14 officer DUI Saturation Patrol.



The training began with an update on the option of Ignition Interlock devices for use in sentencing by Karen Teel with Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD). MADD also served food to the seminar participants, which was donated by Dominos Pizza. The State Patrol recognized the Statewide “Top DUI Enforcement Trooper”, Trooper Brent Butler of Troop 2B. Trooper Butler arrested more impaired drivers than any other Trooper in the entire state. The group also recognized Designated Driver of Colorado Springs who provided over 2200 free rides last year to intoxicated patrons preventing potentially 2200 drunken drivers from driving home. The ride home is free to the intoxicated patron of bars that sponsor the program as well as any active duty military personnel.



Jim Bentley, with the fourth Judicial District hosted a discussion on best practices in documenting and investigating impaired drivers.



After the training 14 deputy district attorneys were given the opportunity to ride along with officers from all five police departments as they made routine traffic stops and investigated impaired drivers. The Saturation Patrol of 14 officers with DA riders stopped 66 vehicles for traffic violations and arrested 10 suspected drunk drivers in the 2 hour saturation patrol. The BAT van was available for evidentiary breath and blood alcohol testing. One driver, arrested for drunk driving, had been arrested for drunk driving twice in the preceding three months, while her DUI cases have not made it to the court system, her driver’s license was already suspended twice. Initially upon being contacted by the officer – she provided a false name resulting in a felony charge. Since Thanksgiving 12% of all 1631 statewide DUI arrests, have been in El Paso County.



Sgt Smith of the Colorado State Patrol said: “This multi-jurisdiction saturation patrol is an excellent time for officers with different agencies to meet, work together and share ideas. It is a great opportunity for these officers to build rapport with the deputy district attorneys who will be prosecuting DUI cases.” A similar saturation patrol is being planned for the summer.



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