Fans driving home after the UF football game against the University of Tennessee had best not drink a few beers before they get behind the wheel: Law enforcement agencies will have extra officers on the roads watching for drunken drivers.
The Alachua County Sheriff's Office and other local law enforcement agencies will join forces to beef up the night's DUI patrol beginning at 8 p.m. Saturday and ending at 4 a.m. Sunday, according to a sheriff's office news release.
The Gainesville Police Department, University Police, High Springs Police Department, Alachua Police Department and Florida Highway Patrol will also be involved in the nighttime patrol.
"We want to make sure everybody gets home from the game safely," said Art Forgey, ASO public information officer.
With crowds of Gators and Volunteers fans coming to Gainesville for the UF football match against the University of Tennessee, people are more likely to engage in alcohol-related activities such as partying, he said.
The Saturday night patrol will not include any checkpoints, Forgey said.
An increased number of officers will, however, be patrolling the area during the DUI detail, he said.
Officers assigned to this patrol will be concentrating their efforts on spotting and handling any alcohol-related problems they encounter during the night, he said.
They will be watching for drunken drivers especially, who would be endangering themselves as well as others on the roads, Forgey said.
The patrolling officers will also deal with issues like alcohol possession by minors and open container violations.
Alcohol-targeting details like the one planned for Saturday are held year-round by various area law enforcement agencies, he said.
Law enforcement departments throughout Alachua County coordinate their efforts on these occasions because drunken driving affects all of their jurisdictions, Forgey said.
The University Police Department, Gainesville Police Department and Alachua County Sheriff's Office will also be handling their gameday duties Saturday in addition to participating in the DUI patrol.
The agencies' employees will monitor events at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium during the UF versus University of Tennessee match and will also handle issues that arise on campus before and after the game.
The game is set to begin at 3:30 p.m.
