Just as St. Patrick dispelled all the snakes from Ireland, law enforcement is gearing up to vanquish drunken drivers this holiday weekend.
Dozens of officers from various metro law-enforcement agencies gathered at Scruffy Murphy’s Irish Pub in LoDo this morning to kick off this holiday’s DUI efforts and trumpet the message “Don’t press your luck!” when it comes to drinking and driving.
“We’re asking people to just be responsible,” said Lt. Col. Doyle Eicher of the Colorado State Patrol. “Go out, have fun, just have designated drivers. It can take a tragic turn if someone doesn’t do it.”
Throughout the state, 64 agencies will be involved in “Heat is On” programs — including saturation patrols and sobriety check points — starting at 6 p.m. Friday and wrapping up at 3 a.m. Wednesday.
After five people in Colorado were killed in alcohol-related crashes during the 2007 St. Patrick’s celebrations, no one died last year.
“Our goal is to have the same results as last year,” said Michael Nugent, a spokesman with the Colorado Department of Transportation.
In 2008, the St. Patty’s Day crackdown resulted in 355 DUI arrests statewide, including Denver police nabbing 29 DUI suspects and the State Patrol making 106 arrests.
To help offset drinking and driving around the raucous holiday, some public-transportation companies are offering free rides.
In Boulder, free HOP bus service will be offered starting at 7 a.m. Tuesday, St. Patrick’s Day, until 3 a.m. March 18.
“We encourage people to utilize public transportation,” said John Elliott, owner of Scruffy Murphy’s.
Scruffy’s staff is well trained to recognize those who have had too much to drink and to cut them off. Still, anyone who is driving over the holiday weekend should not imbibe, Elliott stressed: “One drink is one too many if you get behind a wheel or on a bike.”
Kieran Nicholson: 303-954-1822 or knicholson@denverpost.com
