City residents will see increased patrols from the Madison Police Department in an effort to curb dangerous driving during St. Patrick’s Day weekend.
MPD officers will patrol streets in increased numbers from Friday through Sunday night, according to a MPD statement. St. Patrick’s Day weekend is a time police usually see an increased number of impaired drivers and alcohol-related crashes, the statement said.
MPD Lt. Carl Strasburg said officers will be looking for driving violations, focusing mainly on speeding, seatbelt violations and impaired driving. Strasburg added all of these offenses occur with greater frequency during the holiday weekend compared to other times of the year.
“[MPD] will be putting these officers in areas where there’s high traffic volume and also into areas where there have been past crashes,” said Joel DeSpain, an MPD spokesperson.
Officers will be placed in strategic locations, including East Washington Avenue and John Nolen Drive. The officers will take a no-tolerance approach to any instance of impaired driving, he said.
Strasburg said the policy originated from a recommendation from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation.
“The department examined specific times of year where driving violations occur and determined when increased law enforcement is needed. The department recommended MPD to increase staff during these times to focus specifically on driving violations,” he said. “St. Patrick’s Day is one of the holidays requiring increased police presence.”
While the police presence may be felt on the road, pedestrians will not encounter more officers than they already do, according to Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4.
He said MPD increases its downtown force every weekend throughout the year as part of Madison’s Downtown Safety Initiative.
“There will be more police in the downtown area, but the majority of those extra officers will be on the lookout for drunk drivers,” said Verveer. “The number of officers patrolling the downtown entertainment district and University Avenue will not change from most other weekends.”
Verveer said he expects bars to be full during the weekend but does not anticipate major problems during people’s nighttime bar crawls.
“Even with people, perhaps, having a bit more to drink than usual, we really haven’t had any sorts of problems in prior St. Patty’s Days,” Verveer said. “I expect our good record to continue this weekend as well.”
According to a report from the DOT, Wisconsin experienced 7,227 alcohol-related crashes in 2011. In Dane County alone, 435 drivers were involved in alcohol-related crashes and 1,444 in speed-related crashes in 2010.
Strasburg said it is important for St. Patrick’s Day celebrators to take the time to ask themselves if they really are safe to drive. It will help Wisconsin residents and visitors to avoid tickets and arrests.
“People should take advantage of alternative modes of transportation, such as Madison Metro buses, taxies and rides home from friends to avoid roadway accidents,” said Strasburg.
Strasburg added even those who do not drink during the celebrations this weekend need to drive cautiously.
“If they are going to be out there driving, [MPD] wants to make sure they wear their seatbelts and stay focused.”
