Cape, Jackson, state police plan to boost traffic enforcement during holidays

Local and state officials will make an aggressive effort to ensure roads are safe and clear of impaired drivers this holiday season.

The Cape Girardeau Police Department, Jackson Police Department and Missouri State Highway Patrol will all increase their officer presence on area roads, starting during this weekend.

In 2010, 207 people were killed and 831 were seriously injured in crashes involving an impaired driver in Missouri. During the 2010 Thanksgiving holiday weekend, seven people were killed and another 514 were injured in 1,383 traffic crashes. Roughly one person was killed or injured in an accident every 12 minutes, according to a highway patrol news release.

To combat traffic crashes during Thanksgiving weekend, the highway patrol is assigning all available officers to Missouri roads to enforce traffic laws, namely those related to drunken driving, speeding and seat-belt use, according to the patrol. Troopers will work in 20-mile intervals along Interstates 35, 44, 55, and 70, as well as U.S. 60 and U.S. 61.

"We want everyone to arrive at their Thanksgiving destination safely," said Col. Ron Replogle, superintendent of the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

Locally, the Cape Girardeau Police Department will increase its manpower on the roads at night, spokesman Darin Hickey said. Officers are aware of the increased traffic during the holiday season and are always prepared to deal with it, he said.

Hickey said the number of arrests for driving while intoxicated rises during the holidays, but that may be because of the increased number of people coming to Cape Girardeau to see family. The number tends to be proportional to the number of people in the area during the holiday season, Hickey said.

"Sometimes there's an actual increase and sometimes there isn't," Hickey said. "We're prepared to handle whatever crimes may come about this holiday season." In the past month, Cape Girardeau police have made nine arrests in connection with DWI.

The Jackson Police Department will also heighten its presence on the road this holiday season. The department will increase the number of patrols to look for aggressive and impaired drivers.

In a release, Lt. Scott Eakers recommended the use of designated drivers if alcohol is being served at a function.

In addition to an areawide crackdown on impaired and aggressive driving, Illinois State Police District 22, which serves Alexander, Hardin, Johnson, Massac, Pope, Pulaski and Union counties, will also have extra manpower on the state's roads to help prevent young adults and college students from driving impaired, according to a release.

"The holiday season is a time in which the younger population is more highly represented in traveling to celebrations and family gatherings for the extended weekend," said District 22 interim commander Lt. Steve Shields said in a release. "We are committed to ensuring travelers reach their destinations safely through enforcement and high visibility."

In Missouri, a person can lose his or her license for 90 days, be fined up to $500 and spend up to six months in jail for a first conviction. A second conviction can result in a yearlong license suspension, up to $1,000 in fines and up to a year in prison.

A DWI conviction in Illinois can cost first offense drivers their license for a year and up to $2,500 in fines. A second conviction can result in a five-year loss of full driving privileges, five days in prison or 240 hours of community service.

psullivan@semissourian.com

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Pertinent address:

40 S. Sprigg St., Cape Girardeau, MO