Drivers in Chicago's 20th (Lincoln) District, take note: CPD officers will be out in force this weekend in a "DUI Saturation Patrol" effort aimed at catching impaired drivers and more. According to the Chicago Police Department's website, the operation is scheduled to run from 6 p.m. Saturday, March 2, to 2 a.m. Sunday, March 3, 2024.
The strategy entails flooding the streets with additional patrols that look out for any sign of driving under the influence and also keeping an eye on other violations, such as speeding, lack of seat belt usage, and insurance lapses; these targeted efforts are designed to up the ante on roadway safety for the city's residents and visitors alike during peak weekend hours.
In addition to the heightened presence of officers on the roads, the deployment of the Breath Alcohol Testing (BAT) Mobile Unit is meant to speed up the DUI charge process, facilitating roadside I-Bonds and sparing the Chicago lockups some overcrowding, the department details.
Looking back, a similar patrol in the 10th (Ogden) District on February 24-25 turned up zero DUIs; however, there were multiple other violations including 11 unsafe vehicle citations, five instances of insurance violations, and a few others related to driver's license issues and seat belt non-compliance, the total reaching 39 citations as per the Chicago Police Department's records.
For those on the road, these patrols serve as a stern reminder of the seriousness with which Chicago takes road safety and the lengths law enforcement will go to ensure compliance with the law.
