Beginning October 1, 2007, the Rapid City Police Department will be embarking on a new campaign in the ongoing effort to reduce the number of people drinking and driving in Rapid City.  In cooperation with the SD Dept. of Public Safety, the RCPD is dedicating two officers to a DUI Task Force.  These officers will be tasked with the primary responsibility of identifying and apprehending DUI offenders.  This campaign will also include media events, DUI checkpoints, and DUI saturations.  Our goal is to work with several agencies to combat this problem.  Officers Fred Baxter and Ryan Edwards have been assigned to this program as both of them have demonstrated a high interest in apprehending DUI offenders. 

 

We have already arrested 1,036 people for DUI this year.  Of those, 219 were repeat offenders who have been arrested for a 2^nd, 3^rd or greater offense.  The recent accident on September 23^rd involving four young juveniles further illustrates the need for this enforcement activity.  The RCPD has always taken a proactive and aggressive stance towards DUI enforcement, and those efforts will be enhanced by this program. 

 

Epic Media has agreed to assist this effort and will be featuring electronic billboards throughout town that will be keeping a running tally of DUI arrests in the region.  The billboards will be updated daily with the number of arrests, and will begin again at zero on January 1, 2008. 

 

Law Enforcement wants the public to realize, if they choose to drink and drive, it's not a matter of if they get caught, but when they get caught.