A McMinnville Police Department saturation patrol over Memorial Day weekend was uneventful. The situation is unusual given the three-day weekend celebration.
“The bars were packed, but we didn’t have not one DUI-related accident,” said Lt. Mark Mara. “I was kind of impressed by that. It is unusual to not have any DUI-related accidents. It appears people enjoyed the weekend, but they did it in a safe manner.”
During a saturation patrol, a greater number of uniformed officers are on the streets looking for speeding, reckless driving, following too closely, and other hazardous road safety violations. After stopping motorists, the officers look for other reasons for the driving behavior such as alcohol or drugs.
The officers on saturation patrol do not respond to emergency calls, says Mara.
“Their only job is to look for individuals who may be under the influence of drugs or alcohol,” he said. “They do not go out on calls. This weekend, the department spent 36 hours of overtime.”
Police departments across the United States use saturation patrols to increase safety during holidays when more people are expected to be celebrating and volume on the roads is likely to be heavy.