DUI patrols in Stanislaus set for Cinco de Mayo

The Stanislaus County Avoid the 12 Task Force will have special DUI saturation patrols on the roads in several cities Tuesday because “Cinco de Mayo – like St. Patrick’s Day – is for many people just an occasion for having a good time with alcohol,” according to a news release. “Additionally, every traffic and patrol officer assigned to duty will be on heightened alert.”

“Our main goal is to save lives,” said Ceres police Chief Brent Smith, Avoid the 12 coalition leader. “Around the county, we want to debunk the myth that you can drink until you feel it and then get behind the wheel. You can’t.”

Law enforcement urges revelers to party with a plan. Have a designated driver or use a taxi. “If you make your plans when you’re sober, you won’t make a bad decision when you’re drunk,” says the news release from Ceres police Lt. Chris Perry.

Avoid the 12 DUI Task Force funding is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The next countywide DUI task force deployment will be for the Memorial Day holiday weekend, May 23-26.

This story was originally published May 4, 2015 at 2:48 PM with the headline "DUI patrols in Stanislaus set for Cinco de Mayo."