Police Will Beef Up North Side DUI Patrols This Weekend

You may want to rethink having that extra cocktail or texting while driving.

The Chicago Police Department will be running DUI Strike Force Patrols in the 19th District this weekend. The 19th District is bounded by Fullerton Avenue on the south to Lawrence Avenue on the north, and Lake Michigan on the east to the Chicago River on the west. The location and/or locations will be a surprise.

The DUI Strike Force Patrol will commence at 7 p.m. Saturday, August 1 and end at 3 a.m. Sunday, August 2.

Patrols will be saturating pre-designated areas with roving police officers that continually monitor vehicular traffic for signs of impaired driving. Police will be paying special attention on speed, alcohol-related and and safety belt violations. Radar will be used.

The Breath Alcohol Testing (BAT) Mobile Unit may also be deployed to allow officers to expedite the process of charging a person with driving under the Influence prior to transporting an alleged violators into the nearest lockup for bonding. The mobile unit also allows for Individual Recognizance Bonds (I-Bonds) to be issued at the site of the DUI Strike Force Patrol.

Following are the results of the DUI Strike Force Patrol in Rogers Park’s 24th District from July 25-26:

• Driving under the influence - 2
• Unsafe vehicle violations - 29
• Insurance violations - 5
• Drivers’ license violations - 7
• Safety belt violations - 10

Two vehicles were also towed.