Police Plan DUI Strike this Weekend

The Chicago Police Department will conduct a DUI Strike Force Patrol in the Town Hall 19th District this weekend.

The 19th District covers Lake View, Lincoln Park, Roscoe Village, North Center, Lincoln Square and Uptown.  The district provides police protection on Chicago's north side, from Lawrence Avenue on the north, Fullerton Avenue on the south, the Chicago River on the west and Lake Michigan on the east. 

Starting Saturday at 8 p.m., the strike will last until 4 a.m. on Sunday. But it's not just drinkers who are targets. 

“The purpose of this program is to saturate a pre-designated area with roving police officers that continually monitor vehicular traffic for signs of impaired driving,” police said in a statement. “Patrols also place emphasis on speed, alcohol-related and safety belt violations.”  

Police officials say they have vehicles equipped for speed detection to snag speeders.

And according to the statement, cops may also have their special Breath Alcohol Testing Mobile Unit on the scene. It’s used to allow officers to expedite the process of charging a person with driving under the influence before transporting them to the nearest lockup for bonding.  

The mobile unit also allows for Individual Recognizance Bonds, or I-Bonds, to be issued at the scene. 

The DUI Strike Force Patrol conducted in the Englewood 7th District on February 1-2 resulted in the following:

• Driving Under the Influence: 2 
• Unsafe Vehicle: 29  
• Insurance Violations: 14  
• Drivers License Violations: 18   
• Traffic Violations (Other): 50
• Total Citations: 113    
• Other Arrests: 0                             
• Vehicles Towed: 7 

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