ARLINGTON, Texas -- Drink. Drive. Get tweeted.
To help spread awareness of their efforts to stop drunken driving, Arlington police will turn to Twitter Friday night to give followers a glimpse of life on the DWI task force. Police Chief Theron Bowman will host the virtual ride-along from the passenger seat of a patrol cruiser from 6 to 10 p.m.
In the department's first "tweet-along," Bowman will post messages and pictures beginning with the officer briefing session at the start of the shift and continuing with traffic stops and service calls from the road. Police hope that it shows residents how serious they are about enforcing DWI laws. The task force began Oct. 31 and runs through Jan. 1.
"It's such an important message going into the holidays," police spokeswoman Tiara Richard said.
The department increases enforcement for intoxicated drivers each winter, but this effort began earlier because of a high trend of traffic fatalities this year.
Of the 35 traffic fatalities in the city this year, about half have involved drivers under the influence of alcohol or drugs, police said. In a recent single-vehicle crash, four people, including 21-year-old twin brothers, died. Toxicology tests showed that the driver's blood-alcohol level was at nearly twice the legal limit, Richard said.
Besides the longer enforcement period, more officers are patrolling for intoxicated drivers. Officers are also checking more bars and meeting with businesses that sell alcohol to help prevent DWIs.
"We're doing the tweet-along, first, to educate the public about how the DWI task force works, and second to remind people of the dangers of drinking and driving," Richard said.
In addition to Twitter, Arlington police also connect with the community through Facebook, YouTube and Nixle.
To follow the tweet-along, subscribe to @ArlingtonPD and search for the hashtag #tweetalong.
Copyright 2011 - Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Texas
McClatchy-Tribune News Service
