SUNCOAST - The Sarasota Sheriff's office will join the nearly 10,000 other law enforcement agencies nationwide in support of an intensive crackdown on impaired driving. From August 19th to September 5th the Sheriff’s Office will participate in Operation SID (Stop Impaired Driving). The Operation will focus resources during high-risk times when accidents involving impaired drivers occur most, primarily nights and weekends, which in this case includes the Labor Day holiday. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), in 2009 10,839 people died in crashes in which the driver of a vehicle or motorcycle was at or above the legal limit. The age group with the highest percentage of alcohol-impaired fatalities in motor vehicle traffic crashes was 21 to 24 year olds. Enhanced traffic enforcement is part of the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office Four Year (2009-2013) Strategic Plan that Sheriff Tom Knight initiated to determine priorities and allocate agency resources. Feedback from community members and employees ranked keeping roadways safe as one of the top priorities. Participation in Operation SID is in accordance with the goals and objectives of the strategic plan and upholds the commitment made to the citizens of Sarasota County.
The Manatee County Sheriff's Office Traffic Unit will conduct a DUI Saturation Patrol on Friday, August 19, 2011. 10 MSO deputies, with assistance from FHP and Bradenton Police, will be patrolling from 5:30 p.m. until 3:00 a.m. in areas with a history of high DUI related incidents. The MSO Traffic Unit has made over 270 DUI arrests this year with nearly 10 percent of those being drug impaired drivers. The purpose of the Saturation Patrol is to bring awareness to the DUI problem in Manatee County in an effort to reduce the number of DUI’s, particularly the ones involving serious crashes
