'Stop, test, and arrest': Extra officers will be on the roads Memorial Day weekend as part of OWI Task Force

 

GREENFIELD, Wis. (CBS 58) -- Memorial Day weekend serves as the unofficial start of summer, bringing millions of travelers to the skies and the streets. 

With more cars expected to be on the road, local law enforcement is stepping up efforts to catch drunk drivers.

More than 100 additional police officers will be out on roads across southeast Wisconsin Memorial Day weekend, cracking down on impaired drivers. 

"The more officers, the more eyes we can have on the road, the safer we can make the roadway," said Sgt. Daniel Rossman of Whitefish Bay Police Department.

Officers from agencies across the area attended a street roll call in Greenfield Friday, as part of the Southeast Wisconsin Impaired Driving Task Force.

"We've grown from just a couple agencies to over 40, so it's everyone in Milwaukee, Waukesha County, almost every agency in those counties have someone on the Task Force," said Rossman, a task force board member.

The Task Force's mission is to stop, test and arrest drunk drivers.

Memorial Day weekend starts off OWI task force deployments throughout the summer.

"Officers are working overtime, working extra hours to help keep Wisconsin roads safe," said Cpt. Matthew Borchardt with Greenfield Police Department.

The joint effort is meant to make clear that if you don't drive sober, you will get pulled over.

"Any legal reason we can stop someone, headlight out, taillight out, we see swerving, anything that indicates impaired driving, we're going to make that stop," Rossman said.

If you do choose to get behind the wheel impaired...

"You will be arrested, but you can receive a pretty hefty fine, and if it's a repeat offense, you could end up in jail over it," Borchardt said.

The effort isn't on the shoulders of law enforcement alone. 

The community can help by ensuring designated drivers and reporting any potential drunk drivers to police.

"We all like to have fun, but just do it safely and responsibly," Rossman said.

The OWI Task Force will also focus on enforcement during big events like Summerfest, the state fair, and Harley Homecoming.