Wolfpack collects DUI arrests

A joint effort by local law enforcement agencies leads to several arrests on St. Patrick's Day.

By JANE MEINHARDT

© St. Petersburg Times, published March 21, 2000

LARGO -- The first countywide Wolfpack traffic operation in about a decade led to at least 16 DUI arrests and 70 traffic citations late Friday and early Saturday.

The operation and publicity about it helped get impaired drivers off the road after St. Patrick's Day celebrations, said Largo police Sgt. Barry Smith.

"People knew we were out there," Smith said. "Traffic was very light. It was about half the normal volume."

Thirty-two officers from various agencies patrolled during the operation, which was run from a command post in Largo on Ulmerton Road from 9 p.m. Friday to 3 a.m. Saturday. Kenneth City, Tarpon Springs, St. Pete Beach, St. Petersburg, Treasure Island, Belleair Beach and the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office participated. Officials were still tallying results Monday.

Police in Clearwater used a separate Wolfpack detail for St. Patrick's Day, patrolling mostly U.S. 19 and Fort Harrison Avenue. The operation ended with seven DUI arrests, one felony arrest for cocaine possession and 53 citations.

In the countywide Wolfpack operation, drivers suspected of impairment were taken to DUI receiving points for sobriety and breath tests.

The advantage of the Wolfpack approach is that officers are on the road, not located in one central place, police say.

Most police operations to combat drunken driving usually involve checkpoints. Motorists are directed through a checkpoint set up at a specific location -- frequently on a heavily traveled road such as U.S. 19 -- where officers check drivers for possible alcohol impairment and other violations.

"The Wolfpack is less labor-intensive and more productive than a checkpoint," Smith said. "People can go around a checkpoint."

Largo traffic enforcement Lt. Michael Stephens said checkpoints serve a purpose when there is a problem in a certain area, but that the emphasis is now shifting toward Wolfpack operations. According to Stephens, it's been at least 10 years since a similar Wolfpack-type DUI detail was used.

"We wanted to change the way we're doing things and offer a greater service to people," he said. "I think it was a great success."

It is easier for officers on Wolfpack patrol to develop probable cause for a DUI arrest because they can see drivers' actions before making traffic stops, Stephens said. Wolfpacks also provide networking among agencies.

Smith said officers worked in teams during the Wolfpack detail and patrolled in different jurisdictions. For example, Largo provided officers to patrol in Kenneth City while an officer from that city worked in Largo.

"I think it was good for morale and helped out some of the smaller cities," Smith said.

© St. Petersburg Times. All rights reserved.