The Emporia Police Department and other law enforcement agencies are stepping up enforcement of driving under the influence laws.
According to a press release by EPDSgt. Ed Owens, the department will join law enforcement agencies around the state through Labor Day to enforce traffic laws and apprehend drunken drivers. The increased enforcement is supported by a grant from the Kansas Department of Transportation’s program that uses the slogan, “Drunk Driving. Over the Limit. Under Arrest.” Through this program, there is no cost to the city for the added officers on the street.
According to the KDOT, on an average day in Kansas, six people are killed or injured in alcohol-related crashes.
“This impacts everyone,” Owens said. “Alcohol-related crashes in Kansas cost its citizens nearly $500 million annually in lost productivity, medical costs, property damage and other expenditures.”
Additionally, millions of tax dollars are spent on DUI enforcement each year, prosecution, intake, incarceration, monitoring and drivers’ license hearing and suspensions.
“We are asking those individuals who consume alcoholic beverages to find other means of travel, either through a designated driver, cab or other means of public transportation,” said Emporia Police Chief Gary Smith. “It is not so much a matter of the law as it is caring for your family and neighbors by not putting them at risk by driving recklessly and/or intoxicated.”
slipandslide (anonymous) says...
maybe tougher dui penalties would cut back on drunk driving. how is it someone can have three or four dui's and most of the sentence is probation?
August 19, 2008 at 4:06 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Bjnemp (anonymous) says...
Great point, slipandslide. A few years ago, an intoxicated man in Topeka hit and killed a person on a bicycle. That drunk driver had TEN prior DUI charges! Why go to all the trouble to "crack down" on drunk drivers if all the courts do is scold them and send them back out to get wasted again and endanger more innocent lives? I favor a stiff fine and AA classes for a first offender. The second time it happens the dumb drunk should spend a few years sharing a jail cell with a big greasy degenerate named Bubba.
August 19, 2008 at 5:17 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
josiesbar (anonymous) says...
“We are asking those individuals who consume alcoholic beverages to find other means of travel, either through a designated driver, cab or other means of public transportation,” said Emporia Police Chief Gary Smith.
Herein lies the problem. There is no other form of public transportation other than a cab after dark. I have personally seen people wait over an hour and a half for a cab, then just walked home. I don't think anything can be done about it, I am just bringing it to everyone's attention that a lot of times, the only way for a patron to get home from the bars is the leather covered left foot express (walking).
August 19, 2008 at 6:03 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
josiesbar (anonymous) says...
I'm pretty bad with this forum, haha. I was going to say in the above post, if you do go out, take a DD. I know most bars in town offer free non-alcoholic drinks to DD's, and usually won't make them pay cover charges.
August 19, 2008 at 6:05 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
dhcc66 (anonymous) says...
i would favor what florida has done in the past. if you get a dui and your license is suspended, you lose your car until your suspension is up. they impound it or, with your consent sell it. I'm not sure what happens if the catch you a second or third time.
if you are caught without a license and without insurance, the same should apply. that might cut down on some of the unlicensed/uninsured drivers.
AND YES...i'm aware that this infringes upon people's right to own things, but when you can't use that which you own....take owning a gun for instance if you have a felony...only a minority sees a problem with taking the guns away from those people.
August 19, 2008 at 10:02 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Paccifier (anonymous) says...
To bad L-Cat can't run a Friday night/Saturday night shuttle, maybe down Merchant, across 4th, up Mechanic, with stops on corners along the way- May not hit all the bars in town, but could get to a bunch of them, and it would be a start at least
August 19, 2008 at 11 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Pollyanna (anonymous) says...
What ever happened to Corky's cab? There used to be a service that would pick up ESU students that "over imbibed" and take them home. I don't remember if it was limited to students or if it was open to the general public. I do remember it being used a LOT!
August 20, 2008 at 8:50 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
OutsiderJ (anonymous) says...
I think that it is great to stop drunk driving. I have little or no respect for drunk drivers...
However, I think that law enforcement should be agressively going after enforcement of these laws every day and night. Not just over busy holiday weekends. I have been out late at night for work and have seen alot of drivers on the roads making alot of mistakes, but very few policemen with someone pulled over. I'm from Salina, and if you want agressive DUI pursuit go there and see it first hand. They used to have T-Shirts that said, "Come to Salina on vacation and leave on probation." It had a picture of the mobile DUI lab and some unhappy looking drunk vacationers. It (the agressive law enforcement) made a serious impact on DUIs though. Maybe Emporia could get some pointers.
August 20, 2008 at 9:01 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )