New Orlando Patrol Cars Aim to Bust Drunk Drivers

Drivers in Orlando, Florida should be especially wary when getting behind the wheel now that the Orlando Police Department has invested in 10 new specialty patrol cars used exclusively to track and bust drunk drivers.

According to reports, the new police vehicles have special decals, dashboard cameras, back-seat cameras as well as in-car radar systems installed to help law enforcement officials arrest and prosecute alleged drunk drivers. The new patrol vehicles were presented to the Orlando Police Department’s DUI Enforcement Team last Thursday. The new patrol cars replaced older models that were inefficient because of mileage. The cameras and radars were paid for with a $100,000 U.S. Department of Transportation grant.

The enforcement team is relatively new, but has already made 4,400 stops and nearly 300 DUI arrests since it was created last year. The team offers volunteer positions to officers who want to participate in the patrols. Law enforcement authorities hope that the new equipment in each vehicle will help to build evidence against alleged drunk drivers.

Even before an arrest takes place, police officers will be gathering evidence to present against you. It is important to have a clear understanding of your rights from the moment you are pulled over, through your arrest, hearings and trial. An experienced advocate can review the facts of your case and help to challenge any evidence, including field sobriety results, officer observations, as well as breathalyzer test results.

While additional evidence can be used to support a drunk driving charge, defendants have the right to challenge a stop, arrest, and to minimize penalties associated with a conviction. An experienced advocate can help you protect your license and keep you out of jail.

Source: Orlando Sentinel, “OPD adds cameras and radar to 10 DUI enforcement vehicles,” Bianca Prieto, Aug. 23, 2012

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