Tribal police step up St. Patty’s patrols
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PABLO — While green beer is poured in celebration of St. Patrick’s Day, blue lights will be flashing at traffic stops. Police officers of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribe will be out in full force for traffic safety patrols the weekend of March 15-17. The Irish holiday is associated with both drinking and increased travel. Many Montanans in the western part of the state will be driving to Butte for the annual festivities.
The increased patrols are intended to identify and arrest drivers who are under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Drunk driving is one of America’s deadliest crimes. Every vehicle involved in a fatal crash on the Flathead Reservation from 2009-11 had a male driver under the influence of alcohol.
Nationally, St. Patrick’s Day has been an annual reminder of the deadly combination of drinking and driving. More than 700 people were killed in crashes involving drunk drivers during the St. Patrick’s Day holiday from 2006-10, according to the National Highway Safety Administration. In 2010 alone, 129 lives were lost.
“The tragedy is that impaired drivers hurt and kill innocent people. Our officers will be running extra patrols and overtime shifts to protect the families in our communities,” said Tribal Police Chief Craige Couture. “You can help by making sure your friends and family members don’t get behind the wheel if they have been drinking. If you plan to drink, make sure you’ve got someone else to be the sober driver.”
Along with tribal police, other law enforcement is also stepping up enforcement on streets and roads this weekend. Participating agencies include Lake County, Missoula County and the Ronan Police Department, among many others.
Publicity support for traffic safety efforts of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribal Police is provided by the Safe On All Roads program of the Montana Department of Transportation, in partnership with Tribal Health. Funding for additional patrols is provided by the Montana Department of Transportation Selective Traffic Enforcement Program.
