FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 16, 2011
CONTACT: Emily Howard
202-289-2001
You Better Watch Out, You Better Not … Drink and Drive
Regional Police Targeting Revelers During the Most Dangerous Time of Year for DUI
Area “DUI Ace” Officer Overviews How He Averages a DUI Arrest Every Other Day
Now In Its 10th Year, Checkpoint Strikeforce Demonstrates Local, Life-Saving Results
McLEAN – Police chiefs and decorated officers from across the Washington, D.C . region
gathered this morning to alert the public that their combined forces are on heightened alert to detect and
arrest drunk drivers through New Year’s Day. (See below, detailed listing of local deployments.) The
holiday season is the most dangerous time of the year when it comes to drunk driving. Nationally,
alcohol-related fatalities jump to 40 percent of total fatalities, up from 31 percent during the full year.
Appearing with Montgomery County Chief J. Thomas Manger, Washington D.C. Metropolitan
Police Assistant Chief Patrick Burke and other law enforcement leaders, Fairfax County Police Chief
David Rohrer summed up the regional Checkpoint Strikeforce crackdown this way:
“No matter where you are throughout the greater Washington region, know this: if you drink
and drive, you have no place to hide,” Rohrer said. “You will be caught, you will be arrested and you
will be prosecuted,”
While numerous officers have recorded double-digit DUI arrests, one of the region’s most
accomplished “DUI Aces” is Officer Jeremy Schenck of the Prince William County Police Department.
Thus far in 2011, Officer Schenck has made 173 drunk driving arrests – an average of one DUI arrest
every other day. An eleven-year veteran of the Prince William County force, Officer Schenck attributes
his unmatched record to superior training and close observation of driving behaviors associated with
drunk driving including lane drifting and subtle evasive moves such as turning down a side street or
driving below the speed limit. Having lost a close friend to drunk driving, Schenck’s success is also the
product of his dedication to preventing others from experiencing similar tragedies.
Statistics demonstrate that the local Checkpoint Strikeforce campaign and other anti-drunk
driving efforts are saving lives: As the campaign marks its tenth year in 2011, area drunk driving
fatalities are down significantly: Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia combined now
average 38 fewer DUI deaths than a decade ago. The greater Washington, D.C. region over the past five
years has experienced a steady decline in drunk driving deaths, dropping from 116 alcohol-related
fatalities in 2006 to 79 in 2010.
Also appearing at the announcement was Polly Berry, who lost her high school aged son in an
Alexandria drunk driving crash on the day after Christmas 2006. Berry’s willingness to share her
tragedy put a face on the fatality statistics of the greater Washington, D.C. area.
Earlier in the morning, the nonprofit Washington Regional Alcohol Program (WRAP) honored
eleven Greater Washington police officers for exemplary service in the fight against drunk driving at the
14th annual Law Enforcement Awards.
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Preventing individuals from driving drunk is always preferable to apprehending them after they
have made the wrong decision. Since 1993, WRAP has sponsored the SoberRide program to give those
who have had too much to drink a safe way home – and by doing so has removed more than 52,000
would-be drunk drivers from area roads. Last December alone, 2,530 greater Washington residents used
SoberRide instead of possibly driving home impaired.
WRAP’s 2011 Holiday SoberRide program was also kicked off at the event. Offered nightly
(10:00 pm – 6:00 am) from December 16, 2011 until January 1, 2012, the local program provides free
cab rides home (up to a $30 fare) to those over 21 years of age who call 800-200-8294 (TAXI).
Sponsors of the 2011 Holiday SoberRide campaign include: Anheuser-Busch, AT&T, Diageo, GEICO,
MillersCoors/Premium Distributors of Washington, D.C., Red Top Cab, Restaurant Association
Metropolitan Washington, Volkswagen Group of America and the Washington Area New Automobile
Dealers Association.
The Checkpoint Strikeforce campaign is supported by a grant from the District Department of
Transportation, the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration and the Virginia Department of Motor
Vehicles’ Highway Safety Office to the nonprofit WRAP.
Get more information at http://www.checkpointstrikeforce.net/educate.html, and listen to the ads at
http://www.checkpointstrikeforce.net/vadui.html.
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HIGHLIGHTS OF REGIONAL CHECKPOINT STRIKEFORCE
HOLIDAY CRACKDOWN ON DRUNK DRIVING
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Metropolitan Police Department
 Saturation patrols and checkpoints throughout December and into the new year
U.S. Park Police
 Nightly saturation patrols in the District and surrounding counties
MARYLAND
Maryland State Police
 Saturation patrols along the Capital Beltway from December 16 to January 1
Montgomery County Department of Police
 Assembled multi-departmental task force for holiday season enforcement
 Real and phantom checkpoints
 Saturation patrols
 15 task force officers will be assigned to DUI enforcement each night during the holidays
(continue)
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Prince George’s County Police Department
 Sobriety checkpoint on December 16
 Saturation patrol on December 17
 Several more saturation patrols throughout December
VIRGINIA
Virginia State Police
 Participating in numerous DUI checkpoints with local counterparts
 Heightened patrols
Arlington County Police Department
 Conducting nightly saturation patrols
Alexandria Police Department
 Conducted a sobriety checkpoint before Thanksgiving that resulted in nine arrests
 Heightened enforcement throughout the holiday season
Fairfax County Police Department
 Over 4,500 man-hours dedicated in December to drunk driving and underage drinking
enforcement
Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office
 One sobriety checkpoint
 Several saturation patrols
Prince William County Police Department
 Two sobriety checkpoints
 Nightly saturation patrols from December 16 to January 1
(Sources: Individual, identified law enforcement agencies.)
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