DWI Task Force

The DWI Task Force is under the direct command of Lieutenant Gene Spiller as the Night Shift Patrol Commander. It is supervised by Sergeant Jeff Sowers and is comprised of five officers. In addition to traffic enforcement and DWI enforcement, the Task Force is involved in DWI prevention and education within the community.

Driving while intoxicated (under the influence of alcohol or drugs) is a serious and widespread problem with an unacceptable price tag in terms of lives lost, injuries suffered and property damaged. Mothers Against Drunk Driving has compiled a list of DWI facts that contain some surprising data:

  • Almost half of all drivers who were killed in crashes and tested positive for drugs also had alcohol in their system.
  • About one-third of all drivers arrested or convicted of driving while intoxicated or driving under the influence of alcohol are repeat offenders.(Fell, Jim. “Repeat DWI
  • Over 1.41 million drivers were arrested in 2010 for driving under the influence of alcohol or narcotics.
  • In fatal crashes in 2010, the highest percentage of drunk drivers was for drivers ages 21 to 24 (34%), followed by ages 25 to 34 (30%) and 35 to 44 (25%).
  • The speed of alcohol absorption affects the rate at which one becomes drunk. Unlike foods, alcohol does not have to be slowly digested. As a person drinks faster than the alcohol can be eliminated, the drug accumulates in the body, resulting in higher and higher levels of alcohol in the blood.
  • A standard drink is defined as 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of 72-proof distilled spirits, all of which contain the same amount of alcohol - about.54 ounces.
  • In 2010, 211 children were killed in drunk driving crashes. Out of those 211 deaths, 131 (62%) were riding with the drunk driver.
  • Alcohol impairment among drivers involved in fatal crashes in 2010 was four times higher at night than during the day (37% versus 9%).
  • Adults drank too much and got behind the wheel about 112 million times in 2010 - that is almost 300,000 incidents of drinking and driving each day.
  • 50 to 75% of convicted drunk drivers continue to drive on a suspended license.
  • An average drunk driver has driven drunk 80 times before their first arrest.