Danie M. Huffman
wdreporter2@yahoo.com
In addition to looking for villains on Halloween, police, deputies and troopers are looking for real bad guys.
Local law enforcement agencies are warning Halloween drunken drivers to beware.
A task force has been formed by Parker County agencies including police departments in Weatherford, Willow Park, Hudson Oaks, the Parker County Sheriff’s Office and the Texas Department of Public Safety.
During peak hours, more than a dozen officers will be added to regular patrols and designated to target suspected drunken drivers on city streets, county roads and the interstate.
The two-day task force was created in a specific effort to deter and arrest those who drink and climb behind the wheel.
Each agency has assigned additional traffic officers to enforce DWI laws Halloween night and Saturday.
Halloween kicks off the beginning of the holiday season where local law enforcement agencies made a zero-tolerance commitment to reduce the number of drunken driving incidents throughout the county.
“Our goal for this collaborative effort is to ensure safer roadways for the citizens of Parker County and the traveling populous,” said Weatherford Police Lt. Chris Crawford in a press release.
Parker County Sheriff Larry Fowler said he has added four deputies to the task force in addition to those already scheduled for patrol.
“Holidays are times when we take special interest in DWI offenders,” Fowler said. “We added the deputies in a collaborative effort to enforce the DWI laws along with other local agencies.”
Willow Park Police Chief Brad Johnson said he was delighted to join the task force.
“We will have an extra officer to patrol our neighborhoods for the safety of our trick-or-treaters and target DWI offenders,” Johnson said.
Hudson Oaks Police Chief Ken West said he will add three officers to his normal patrol staff.
“This will give us four units to look for DWI offenders on those particular dates,” West said. “Last year we totaled 82 DWI offenses. We stay active with that. We will be targeting Highway 180 and I-20, which are the primary spots for DWI patrol.”
Weatherford Patrol Lt. Ronnie Villarreal said the agencies wanted to address DWI issues over the holiday weekend and pulled officers to work the detail and invited other agencies to join.
“It will stay in existence for the next several years,” Villarreal said.
Although in the past, such efforts were funded by a state grant to pay for the overtime hours accumulated by officers on holiday details, this year, the department is adjusting schedules to compensate.
“This really coincides with the Halloween Step Wave, which is grant funded by TxDOT,” Villarreal said. “It concentrates efforts during holiday seasons to address issues such as safety belt violations, DWI offenses, speeding and child safety seat violations.”
He said officers will be targeting specified areas in the city where the department has received complaints of DWI drivers in the past.
The task force will continue similar efforts throughout Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s and Spring Break.
Officers will be looking for erratic drivers, those who cross traffic lanes, speed or are stopped in the middle of the road.
“No refusals,” Villarreal said. “Basically, if probable cause exists, and we feel they are intoxicated, they will be arrested.”
For more information about the Halloween DWI Task Force, contact Weatherford Police Lt. Ronnie Villarreal at (817) 598-4330.
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