photo by: Douglas County Sheriff's Office

A Douglas County Sheriff's Office vehicle is pictured in January 2022.

The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office will have extra deputies on patrol in the coming weeks to monitor for impaired drivers.

The extra patrols will begin Saturday and run through Sept. 4, including the Labor Day holiday, according to a news release from the sheriff’s office.

The special traffic enforcement is part of Kansas’ “You Drink. You Drive. You Lose” campaign, funded by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration with safety funds administered by the Kansas Department of Transportation. The support allows law enforcement agencies to fund overtime for deputies and officers to patrol specifically for impaired drivers and other dangerous traffic infractions.

“When people see deputies out up and down the highways, they are more likely to follow the rules of the road. And whenever they see deputies driving through the campgrounds, they are less likely to get behind the wheel if they’ve been drinking,” said Douglas County Sheriff’s Lt. Caleb Chaffin, who coordinates the county’s Special Traffic Enforcement Program. “Nowadays, there are many preventive ways, including using a designated driver or ride-share service, making it super easy to call up a ride from your phone. And it’s a lot cheaper than having to fix your car or having to pay court costs. I tell people that it’s better to be there a little late, than to not be there at all.”