photo by: Kim Callahan/Journal-World

A Lawrence Police Department patrol vehicle is pictured June 28, 2022.

Douglas County law enforcement increased holiday patrols through a state-funded campaign aimed at deterring impaired driving and shared the total DUI arrests reported over the past week.

The year-round Special Traffic Enforcement program includes several campaigns timed around holidays such as Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s Eve, Memorial Day, and Labor Day and is meant to provide a period of public education ahead of each enforcement period to encourage people to drive safely.

In addition, it is to allow for funding over the fiscal year for deputies to patrol county roads and highways for impaired drivers, seat belt violations or speeding outside their normal shift.

George Diepenbrock, a spokesperson for the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, said the department received $6,500 to fund all of the fiscal year campaigns. Any money not used is returned to the Kansas Department of Transportation’s Behavioral Safety Section.

“Officer presence can go a long way in deterring behaviors that can be dangerous and contribute to deadly or serious crashes,” Capt. Josh Kellerman said in an email to the Journal-World. “Our goal during these times is to be able to get more deputies on the roads to hopefully deter or stop impaired driving or other violations, especially at times where more people are on the roads or there might be the added risk for impaired driving.”

From Dec. 26 to Friday night, the Sheriff’s Office along with the Lawrence Police Department have been participating in the “Taking Down DUI” campaign, which is to focus on impaired driving around the holidays.

Diepenbrock said there have been seven DUI arrests total during the period as of Friday afternoon. Two of those arrests occurred early on Jan. 1, and it was by a deputy assigned to the special enforcement patrol. There were also five arrests by deputies that weren’t on special patrol.

“I think the numbers for this year appear comparable to what we have seen with these special enforcement periods the past few years,” Diepenbrock said via email. “They don’t bring in huge numbers as far as arrests or citations, but they do allow for extra deputies to be on the roads to focus on impaired drivers or other traffic violations – in this case at least two drivers suspected of DUI early on New Year’s Day.”

Laura McCabe, a spokesperson for the Lawrence Police Department, said in an email that LPD made eight DUI arrests from noon on Dec. 26 until noon Friday, for a total of 20 across the two agencies.

During the previous week, from Dec. 19 to Dec. 26, there also were 20 people arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, according to the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office booking log.

McCabe said the impact of these campaigns comes from raising awareness and discouraging risky behavior before it happens.

“Having increased traffic enforcement is not simply about arrests and citations,” McCabe said in the email. The programs are meant to bring public awareness and, most importantly, deter or prevent traffic infractions.”