With ‘bar watch’ back, Fresno police prepare for busy New Year’s Eve

The Fresno Police Department is reminding residents that officers will be out in force on New Year’s weekend to keep city streets free from impaired drivers. And for the first time in several years, police have a new tool to help accomplish this goal.

Capt. Mike Reid said his department will use the “bar watch” program to keep tabs on anyone attempting to drive while under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Chief Jerry Dyer recently announced the reinstatement of the program, which posts officers outside of bars in the hopes of intercepting anyone attempting to drive home while drunk. The move was made in response to a sharp increase in the number of fatal traffic collisions within city limits in 2017.

Critics say the program is a drain on police resources that could other be used to fight gangs and violent crime.

The typical bar watch involves four officers and a sergeant, Reid said. Police will watch patrons as they leave the bar and pull them over immediately if they suspect the person is intoxicated.

The program has been in use for the past two weekends. Several people have been stopped, but only one was above the legal blood-alcohol limit. A few others have been cited for non-DUI traffic violations.

Bar watch officers also will stop anyone who appears publicly intoxicated from getting behind the wheel at all, Reid said.

In addition to bar watch, several DUI checkpoints – each staffed with about two sergeants and about 10 officers – will run during the holiday. Additional officers also will patrol areas of the city where crashes frequently occur.

Some of these operations receive funding through state grants, while others are paid for through the department’s overtime budget.

Reid recommended that anyone who is planning to drink alcohol on New Year’s Eve use public transportation, taxis or ride-sharing services such as Uber or Lyft to get home. He stressed that officers also will be searching for anyone driving under the influence of any drugs, including recently legalized marijuana.

“Please be safe and remember that the decisions you make impact not only yourself but the safety of other families in Fresno,” Reid said.

This story was originally published December 27, 2017 at 6:06 PM with the headline "With ‘bar watch’ back, Fresno police prepare for busy New Year’s Eve."