Pasco deputies to step up DUI patrols during holiday

Don't say Pasco deputies didn't warn you. The Sheriff's Office is putting drivers on notice about drunken driving during the Labor Day holiday weekend.

Deputies will participate in the "Drunk Driving, Over the Limit, Under Arrest" crackdown, according to Kevin Doll, public information director for the Sheriff's Office.

The Selective Traffic Enforcement Patrol unit has already started its latest round of saturation patrols. Violators could glance into their rear-view mirrors only to see flashing red lights of police cars signaling them to pull over.

The six STEP deputies and other officers are concentrating their patrols in Port Richey and Hudson areas through Sept. 4. A DUI checkpoint is in the works for Sept. 10 as well. Cars are stopped at random during the checkpoints.

"In 2009, we arrested 912 people for driving under the influence in Pasco County," Sheriff Bob White wrote in a website advisory.

"Don't find out the hard way," White added.

A drunken driving arrest can cost a person up to $8,000 in fines, lawyer fees, towing fees and the costs associated from lost work hours, White calculates.

"If you are going to be drinking, don't drive," White commented. "If you might have to drive, don't drink. If you will be visiting a bar or having some drinks at a restaurant, call a taxi or choose a designated driver who will not drink and will be able to drive everyone home.

"There is no excuse for driving under the influence," White said.