Sheriff's Department crackdown leads to 97 tickets

COLUMBIA — Between Feb. 21 and 28, the Boone County Sheriff’s Department took into custody 11 drivers who were suspected of being under the influence, according to a department news release. 

The Sheriff’s Department was assisted by the Missouri Department of Transportation Division of Highway Safety in its effort to remove intoxicated or impaired drivers from Columbia roads, according to the release. The program was organized by the Missouri Department of Transportation, according to Capt. Gary German of the Boone County Sheriff’s Department. According to German, the department has been averaging about three DWI arrests per week.

Between 2 to 8 p.m. on Feb. 25 the department used laser speed detection to conduct a special speed enforcement project on U.S. 63, according to the release. The department, in conjunction with the Missouri State Highway Patrol, identified and pulled over 95speeding vehicles.

According to the release,97 tickets were issued, including: 75 speeding tickets, two suspended driver’s license citations, eight citations for failing to yield to emergency vehicles, five seat belt violations, five citations for failing to present insurance, one citation for failing to signal and one registration violation. Fifteen warnings were also issued for a variety of offenses.

German said the Boone County Sheriff’s Department has already conducted several similar speed enforcement projects on Interstate 70 and plans on doing more.