Agencies team up for Metro DUI Task Force

Kari Craig, Rocky Mountain News

Published July 25, 2007 at midnight

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Seven local law enforcement agencies have joined forces to fight drunken driving in the Denver area.

Officers and deputies lined up at the Capitol today to announce the Metro DUI Task Force.

"You’re going to see officers from jurisdictions working in other jurisdictions. You’ll see Denver police officers in Douglas County or maybe Jefferson County, and our partners from the north in Denver," said Major Steven Powell of the Colorado State Patrol.

The operations will consist of several officers patrolling relatively small sections of the community. Checkpoints are not out of the question but are not scheduled for the first operation, which will be at an undisclosed location in Denver on Thursday, Powell said.

"We know that any time we put out more officers, we see more DUI arrests," Powell said.

Denver police captain Eric Rubin spearheaded the effort after learning of a similar program in Arizona.

"What we hope to accomplish here is significant public awareness...It’s a stark reminder to everybody out there that this is not a good time to be driving intoxicated," Rubin said.

Emily Tomkins, state executive director of Mother’s Against Drunk Driving, spoke in support of the task force, reminding the audience that someone dies every 31 minutes in alcohol-related crashes in the United States.

"It’s important to remember that every number represents a face, a name and a family," Tomkins said.

Officers from the Denver, Northglenn, and Wheat Ridge police departments and sheriff’s offices in Arapahoe, Douglas and Jefferson counties and the Colorado State Patrol make up the task force. District attorneys’ offices have agreed to handle cases brought to them by officers outside their jurisdictions.

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