Metro Law Enforcement Agencies 'TEAM' Up For New Year's Eve Crackdown

A group of Oklahoma Highway Patrol troopers, Oklahoma City police officers, and Oklahoma County Sheriff's deputies will patrol the streets New Year's Eve, searching for drunken drivers and other law breakers.

The law enforcement agencies, along with officers from the Alcoholic Beverage Laws Enforcement (ABLE) Commission, are part of TEAM -- Traffic Enforcement Across the Metro. While troopers, deputies and police officers keep a lookout for impaired drivers, ABLE officers will keep a watchful eye on businesses that serve alcohol.

Patrols will begin at 7 p.m. December 28 and end in the early morning hours of January 1.

"The Oklahoma County Sheriff's Office looks forward to getting drunks off the streets and putting them in jail during TEAM," said Oklahoma County Sheriff John Whetsel. "All too often we see the devastation caused by someone choosing to get behind the wheel of a vehicle after drinking alcohol, and we have absolutely zero tolerance for these poor choices. If you drink and drive you will spend your New Year's celebration in jail."

Between 6 p.m. December 31, 2011 and midnight January 2, 2012, six people died in six crashes across Oklahoma; 219 were injured. Of these, one death and 31 injuries were in alcohol-related crashes.

We don't want to meet you by ‘accident' and we don't want to be the knock at your family's door," said Oklahoma City Police Capt. Dee Patty. "Help us by celebrating at home or by having a designated driver."

The OHP says the crackdown extends statewide.