Cape PD: DUI crackdowns “very effective”

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CAPE CORAL, Fla. – “Drive sober, or get pulled over” has been the mantra of Cape Coral police for the past three months. Friday police conducted the 12th High Visibility DUI Enforcement since the beginning of June.

Some people say there’s been too many nights of streets filled with cops pulling drivers over.

“Way too many. I mean if you’re going to do one, do one a month. I mean eight within what was it, like 2 months? That’s ridiculous,” Cape Coral resident John Lee told WINK News Friday.

Police say this year’s operations have been very effective. So far the operations have netted more than 50 total arrests.

“Cape Coral is experiencing one of the deadliest years on our roadways right now… these operations are getting impaired drivers off the road every time we do one,” said police department spokesman Sgt. Dana Coston.

According to police, there have been ten traffic deaths on Cape Coral roads this year, eight of them DUI related. There was a total of ten traffic deaths in all of 2014, five of which were DUI related.

Dixie Roadhouse owner Lynn Pippenger says although she’s noticed turnout dip on enforcement weekends, it’s been minimal, and she applauds police for their work.

“I don’t have a problem with them. It’s important to all the bars in south Cape that everyone gets home safely. The patrons that we want to come here are the ones that are getting home safely, the ones that are taking taxis, getting a designated driver or using Uber. And those people are still coming, they’re not having a problem with any of this,” said Pippenger.

The DUI enforcement operations have been funded by a $45,000 state grant, but the money runs out at the end of September. Coston says they have already re-applied for the grant for the upcoming fiscal year in hopes of conducting more enforcement operations in the future.

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