Crime & Safety
Officials To Ramp Up DWI Enforcement in Eagan, Dakota County
Two grants provide the Eagan police department with the funds for officers dedicated to DWI enforcement.
On June 18, from 8 p.m. to 4 a.m., there will be an Eagan police officer on patrol with one objective in mind—to look for and stop impaired drivers.
The initiative is possible thanks to a DWI Enforcement Grant administered by the Minnesota State Patrol, which is one of two grants the Eagan Police Department uses to help keep drunk drivers off the streets.
The other is the federally-funded Dakota County Traffic Safety Grant. This grant allows for increased enforcement and utilizes off-duty officers from all jurisdictions in Dakota County.
Find out what's happening in Eaganwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Once every few months 20 officers from multiple police departments converge on a single community for an eight-hour shift looking for impaired drivers and those who aren't wearing seat belts.
Eagan has participated in the Dakota County Traffic Safety Grant since 2005.
Find out what's happening in Eaganwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
According to Lieutenant Duane Pike, the fact that Minnesota had zero traffic fatalities over Memorial Day weekend is an indication that programs like this are having an impact.
Pike says the ultimate goal of such operations is to send a message that the police are actively looking for drunk drivers and to ultimately stop people from drinking and driving in Dakota County or other communities involved in similar efforts.
