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What's Brewing

Surprised by DUIs? Don't be

By SUSAN THURSTON
Published May 27, 2005

The warning went out two days in advance. The Sheriff's Office and Tampa police were setting up a breath-alcohol testing vehicle at Howard Avenue and Kennedy Boulevard.

The BAT mobile, as it's called, would be out from 10 p.m. Friday to 5 a.m. Saturday, prime time for the party crowd leaving SoHo.

By Friday, the news had spread across South Tampa. One friend planned to take a cab from Harbour Island to the Dubliner but instead opted to walk to Channelside. Another got an e-mail to avoid SoHo completely.

No one wants a DUI. No one.

The well-informed made it home safe and sober - or with the help of a friend or taxi. Others had blue lights flashing in their rearview mirror and a lot of explaining to do.

Police say 17 people were arrested on DUI charges that night during what sheriff's officials dubbed Operation 3D Wolf Pack. The 3D stands for Don't Drink and Drive. Wolf pack is the term used when law enforcement agencies congregate to target an area, kind of like wolves.

Police patrolled primarily in South Tampa; sheriff's deputies worked Dale Mabry Highway, between Hillsborough and Fletcher avenues. Suspects were taken to the BAT mobile for processing.

Authorities set up the hugely noticeable vehicle in the Mercantile Bank parking lot to raise awareness. If people saw the police, maybe they'd think twice about getting behind the wheel drunk.

This wasn't a DUI checkpoint. Police didn't stop cars randomly. But they also didn't ignore motorists who drove by erratically.

That was the case with Allison Catherine Ridenhour, a felony prosecutor with the Pinellas-Pasco State Attorney's Office, police say. An officer stopped her on Howard after she crossed Kennedy and was swerving for several blocks, said police spokeswoman Laura McElroy.

She drove right past the BAT mobile.

By Sunday, her name and mug shot were all over TV and the papers.

Can you imagine?

No - and yes.

With lures of countless bars and restaurants in SoHo, Channelside, Ybor City and other drinking hubs, it's no wonder Tampa has a DUI problem. In fact, until recently, Hillsborough led the state for the number of alcohol-related fatalities and crashes involving impaired drivers.

Several forces work against us. We don't have adequate mass transit, we don't use cabs very often and we can't leave our cars anywhere overnight for fear they will get towed or stolen. The city begs us to support places like Centro Ybor, and bar owners woo us with drink specials, yet when it comes to getting home safely, we're on our own.

The county's bad track record resulted in a $1.7-million grant from the Florida Department of Transportation to add patrols to help reduce DUIs. The grant has since expired, but the Sheriff's Office continued the program.

Sgt. Ron Harrison, head of the sheriff's DUI units, works with police in picking locations for the BAT mobile. They chose Howard and Kennedy because SoHo is one of Tampa's top DUI arrest locations, second only to Ybor. Howard is a straight shot to Interstate 275, where alcohol mixes with speed.

Local police stats show Fridays are the most common night for DUI arrests. October usually has the most, followed by March and May.

The average age of a person arrested for drunken driving in Tampa is 34. Their blood-alcohol level averages 0.154 - nearly twice the level at which Florida law presumes impairment.

If the humiliation of a DUI doesn't sting you, the costs will. The Sheriff's Office calls it the $8,000 drink. Costs typically include $3,500 in lawyer fees and $1,500 in upped insurance premiums.

And don't forget the hassle factor. First-time offenders lose their license for six months. Those who refuse to take a Breathalyzer test lose it for a year.

Not fair? Read the fine print on the front of your driver's license: Operation of a motor vehicle constitutes consent to any sobriety test required by law. News to me.

This weekend is Memorial Day. Hordes will flock to the beaches, parties and picnics. Booze will be everywhere. So will the police.

People will die on the roads. Some likely because of alcohol.

It falls on us to be smart.

THE LAST DROP: Planning ahead to June 4, the 13 Ugly Men are hosting their annual White Party at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. About 1,500 people are expected to attend. Everyone dresses in white. E-mails went out this week urging people to book a room that night to avoid drinking and driving.

Susan Thurston can be reached at 226-3394 or thurston@sptimes.com

[Last modified May 26, 2005, 08:26:10]