Amid the Green Beer, Beware the Blue Line

Milpitas patrol officers plan to keep an eye out for drunken drivers on Thursday night. Revelers will likely be out to celebrate St. Patrick's Day, a day that started as Catholic holiday for Ireland's most commonly recognized saint but has been secularized over the years into a celebration of Irish culture. 

In nearby suburbs, the sheriff's office will beef up its patrols for St. Patrick's Day. 

"We will be encouraging our patrol officers to increase their awareness for DUIs like we always do on major holidays," said Sgt. Daryl Sequeira of the Milpitas Police Department. Last year, officers only made one DUI arrest, he said.

The Santa Clara County Sheriff's Department described its rolling DUI patrols as "a counter-measure to all the 'green beer' on sale" throughout the county.

“Driving impaired is simply not worth the risk," said Capt. Frank Damiano, division commander of the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office Headquarters Patrol Division. "Designate your sober driver before the party begins.” 

The St. Patrick's Day patrol campaign begins at 6 p.m. Thursday and ends at 5:59 a.m. Friday.

The Avoid the 13 DUI Task Force will deploy additional DUI patrols into various cities in the county, including Mountain View, Cupertino, Saratoga, Los Altos Hills, San Jose, Santa Clara and Sunnyvale. "Avoid the 13" refers to the original 13 law enforcement agencies when the DUI campaigns were first launched several years ago.

Driving under the influence, or DUI, is commonly understood to be driving under the influence of alcohol, but it applies to other controlled substances.

St. Patrick's Day patrols, which started in 2009, are a relatively new addition to the Avoid the 13 campaigns, said Sgt. Rick Sung. The state Office of Traffic Safety noticed that DUI-related deaths or injuries were higher dates of holidays such as St. Patrick's Day and Cinco de Mayo, said Michelle Sandoval, the sheriff's grant manager. Additional funding will help to combat that problem, she said.

The Avoid DUI Saturation patrols will supplement regularly scheduled shift deployments planned for Thursday. The specialized DUI officers will focus on areas with high incidents of DUI collisions and arrests.

The sheriff's department and its partners recommended the following steps for a safe St. Patrick’s Day:

• Plan a safe way home before the festivities begin; before drinking, designate a sober driver and leave your car keys at home.
• 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.
• If you happen to see a drunk driver on the road, don’t hesitate to call 911.
• If you know someone who is about to drive while impaired, take the car keys and help him or her make other arrangements to get home.