Don't Let Your Luck Run Out This St. Patrick's Day

As with any major holiday where alcohol is a mainstay, the fun of drunken St. Patrick’s Day festivities comes with a level of responsibility. Police from all jurisdictions are stepping up patrols and will be on the lookout for those who shouldn’t be behind the wheel.

In Bowie, Chief John Nesky says that the department will also be on the look out for intoxicated drivers.

"While we will not be conducting any specific DUI checkpoints, we will have additional units conducting saturation patrols looking for impaired drivers,” he said.

If you’re planning on spending the Irish holiday at Bowie’s only Irish Pub——Beltway Transportation will provide free pick-up and drop-off services.

Starting at 5:30 p.m. area residents can call the restaurant to be placed on a queue to be picked up from their home. At the end of the night’s celebrations, patrons will also be provided a ride home.

Here are some other departments in the region that will be running checkpoints and increased patrols tomorrow night:

Greenbelt Police Department
Increased patrol from 8 p.m. to 3 a.m. Focus will be on state highways (Kenilworth Ave. and Greenbelt Road), which are the major access roads to the bars located in the city.

Maryland State Police
(Forestville and College Park barracks) Increased patrol from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. – Operation Centipede will focus on impaired and aggressive drivers on the DC Beltway.

Prince Georges’ County Police Department
Increased patrols and sobriety checkpoints 5 p.m. – 3 a.m. – Location unknown

Anne Arundel County Police Department
Sobriety checkpoint from 8 p.m. to 12 a.m. - Locations unknown

Here are some tips for planning a safe night of celebrating from the State Highway Administration:

• Plan a safe way home before the festivities begin
• Before drinking, designate a sober driver and give that person your keys
• If you’re impaired, use a taxi, call a sober friend or family member, or use public transportation so you are sure to get home safely
• Utilize Baltimore’s free Tipsy? Taxi! service or DC’s Sober Ride program; more information can be found by calling 877-963-TAXI or by going to either www.freecabrides.org or www.soberride.com
• If you happen to see a drunk driver on the road, don’t hesitate to contact your local law enforcement by calling 911 or #77
• If you know anyone who is about to drive or ride while impaired, take their keys and help them make other arrangements to get to where they are going safely

“We’re pleased to have the education and outreach support that SHA brings to the table for this historically dangerous weekend,” said Sheriff Gery Hofmann, President of the Maryland Sheriff’s Association.  “For those who think they have the luck of the Irish on their side, if you decide to drive drunk, you’ll learn firsthand that our education responsibilities come in the form of handcuffs and jail time.”