Bucks County police ramp up DUI patrols on Thanksgiving Eve
BENSALEM, Pa. (CBS) -- Thanksgiving Eve is one of the biggest party nights of the year. Police in Bucks County are teaming up to patrol one of the busiest roadways most prone to DUI crashes.
Officers from eight different Bucks county police departments met at Bensalem police headquarters at 10 p.m. to launch an overnight roving DUI patrol up and down 16 miles of street road spanning from Bensalem to Warrington.
Their goal is to make sure everyone makes it to their Thanksgiving table safely.
Inside Final Score Sports Bar & Grill off Knights Road in Bensalem, Tim Waters is relaxing with a game of eight ball on the eve before Thanksgiving.
"It's the rush it's crunch time," Waters said.
"I don't plan on being out late because I know it gets crazy," Kenny Jones said.
Jones lives about a mile from here and is one of many locals along with local bartenders focused on celebrating the night safely.
"You're keeping an eye on how much people are drinking," bartender Bobby Clark said, "if they're too drunk. Also checking for IDs."
"The eve of Thanksgiving has always been a traditional heavy-drinking bar night," Richard Vona, director of safety for Bucks County, said.
It's also the focus of eight police municipalities from across Bucks County, who for the past seven years staff an overnight roving DUI patrol along Street Road from 95 to 611.
"Deterrence is always our goal," Vona said, "so if we can deter people from driving impaired, that's our goal."
In 2021 officers issued 13 citations and 79 warnings, which was down from 2019 pre-COVID-19 when teams gave out 21 citations and 102 warnings.
"Our message is don't drink and drive or do drugs," Vona said. "If you drive impaired, you will get arrested."
The roving DUI patrols will be out through 3 a.m.
The program is funded by a grant through by PennDOT.
