Operation Safe Ride Returns New Year's Eve In Woodstock

WOODSTOCK, GA — The Woodstock Police Department will once again offer you a chance to get home safely if your New Year's Eve plans involve indulging a little too much. The agency will conduct its Operation Safe Ride initiative where officers will provide free rides home to patrons at local bars who may be impaired or feel that they are unsafe to drive.

Anyone who needs a ride must be at an alcohol-serving establishment within the city limits and must live within a "reasonable distance" of Woodstock, the agency added. Neese Towing will join operation again this year and offer to tow vehicles to homes free of charge.

Entering its ninth year, this operation has provided more than 350 rides home and saved countless lives. The Department utilizes its 15-seat passenger van and two police officers to drive people home.

"The main reason for this operation is to ensure that residents can celebrate the holiday, but not endanger the lives of others by driving impaired," said Captain Mark Hand, Field Operations Division commander. "The officers enjoy interacting with all of the residents and meeting new people. It is a way for us to get out in the community while making the streets of Woodstock safer."

Anyone interested in a ride home on New Year’s Eve can make arrangements by calling 404-740-4502. The operation will run from 10 p.m. Dec. 31 to 3 a.m. New Year's Day, Jan. 1, 2018.

Image via Woodstock Police Department