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Law enforcement increases for holiday

With the holiday weekend fast approaching, the SIUC Department of Public Safety has been upping its enforcement.

According to Todd Sigler, captain of the SIUC Department of Public Safety, the increased enforcement began June 20 and will run through the holiday weekend, ending Sunday.

Sigler said officers would be working overtime, patrolling for motorists in violation of seatbelt, speed limit and alcohol laws. The time frame for the increased enforcement is between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. So far, there have been only a handful of seatbelt violations and arrests for driving under the influence.

Sigler said while the department would be patrolling all University property, high-risk areas include US Route 51, Grand Avenue and Wall Street - areas of concern because of their close proximity to bars.

"We're looking for some of the areas that are arteries for traffic traveling to and from bars and taverns," Sigler said. "Our efforts are in and around campus and on those roadways that, we know from experience, people who've been to a bar travel."

Thanks to a $16, 482 grant from the Illinois Department of Transportation, the increase marks the seventh round of enlarged enforcement with one more to go. The last round will run during the Labor Day holiday, which is from Aug. 30 through Sept. 12.

The grant, known as the Mini-Grant Alcohol Enforcement Program, is designed to help police increase enforcement for eight two-week periods considered to be high-risk times. Funding from the grant allows the department to pay officers overtime.

Sigler said since the department has begun to increase enforcement, people seem to be more cautious, opting to walk or use designated drivers and other alternative modes of transportation.

This is the second year the University has been awarded the grant and is one of only two universities in the state to receive the grant this year. Sigler said the Department of Public Safety has been informed that it will receive the same grant again next year.

"It's our intention to try and provide the safest environment as we can for the campus community," Sigler said. "We feel that it's a proactive effort to try and reduce alcohol related accidents."