Lieutenant Gwen Smith says the Laramie Police Department has made only five DUI arrests over the past two News Year’s Eve holidays.

“I believe that the programs that we have available for people in Laramie to not drive when they plan to go out and drink have had a very positive impact on the number of DUIs that we have here in town,” says Lt. Smith.  “There’s SafeRide and then the… rides that Shane Swett and his business [A-1 Towing & Recovery] offer.”

The Drunk Driving Initiative by Snowy Range Taxi, L.L.C. has also made an impact in recent months.

Lt. Smith says the LPD will join law enforcement agencies across Wyoming in deploying extra officers on New Year’s Eve to bolster DUI patrols and traffic enforcement efforts.

“We participate in the WYDOT traffic safety grant program which provides some overtime funding for our officers specific to the New Year’s weekend,” says Lt. Smith.

According to a press release, the Wyoming Highway Patrol will conduct an impaired driving and traffic safety campaign called #DoNotGetHashtaggedByWHP over the holiday weekend.

The campaign will use the hashtag to pose up-to-date DUI arrests and other safety-related traffic stops made by WHP troopers around the state.  The press release says the agency hopes to deter impaired and unsafe driving by making motorists aware that any arrests or traffic stops might be posted on WHP social media accounts.

As for Laramie, Lt. Smith says the week leading up to Christmas was very quiet with no major felony arrests.

“The trend has been that we’re at a pretty low level of DUIs that the Laramie Police Department sees over those weeks coming up to the first of the year,” says Lt. Smith.  “I think a lot of that can be attributed to the programs that are available in Laramie.”

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