Police head back on patrol for drunken drivers

STAMFORD — After a three-month break because of the coronavirus, the Stamford Police Department is putting its drunken driving patrols back on the road.

Also, several serious car accidents have occurred recently in which alcohol appears to have played a role, police said.

The roving patrols began Wednesday night and will continue through Sunday, said Capt. Diedrich Hohn, who heads up the effort. Year after year, Hohn takes more drunken drivers off the road than the rest of the 270-officer department combined.

Since March, when the COVID-19 pandemic struck, drunken driving patrols had been shelved.

Hohn said the effort to get back out on the road was sparked by several recent serious accidents that are still under investigation At this time, Hohn said he could not be more specific about when the crashes happened or who was involved.

Police have recently reported a number of accidents in the city: A Maserati crashed and burned on Westhill Road, another vehicle slammed into a telephone pole on Cove Road and another vehicle running into a front yard on Hope Street and injuring three pedestrians.

“We have seen an increase in these accidents and therefore it is time for us to up our presence and try to be a deterrent out there,” said Hohn. He has consistently made 40-plus such arrests annually for the past several years and was named Top Cop for 2019 by Connecticut Mothers Against Drunk Driving.

Hohn would not say how many officers would be out on the roving patrols, but mentioned that they will be scouring areas known to be frequented by those who should not be behind the wheel.

“Our goal is to keep the city safe and keep other drivers and pedestrians safe. It costs people a lot of money and heartache when accidents like these happen,” Hohn said. “A recent accident sent a family of five to the hospital.”