DUI Checkpoints Set Up For New Year's Eve Across Oklahoma

As Green Country prepares to ring in 2022, it is all hands-on-deck for law enforcement. 

New Year's Eve is a night of celebration, but for many men and women working in law enforcement, memories on the job during the holidays stay with them forever. 

"The Oklahoma Highway patrol, when we respond to those, we find the next of kin and tell them someone isn't coming home that night. The one that sticks with me the most is there was a time I walked up on a doorstep and on the other side of the door I could hear them laughing and playing games together as a family. I knew that when I knocked on the door, I would change their life forever," said Trooper Eric Foster with OHP. 

Troopers said there is an increase in intoxicated drivers on New Year's Eve and in turn, they work an increase of deadly crashes.

"You will notice that the Oklahoma Highway Patrol doesn't call them accidents like a lot of people do. These are crashes because someone made a choice, for whatever reason, to drive impaired or to drive distracted or to drive without their seatbelt on," said Trooper Foster. 

End DUI Oklahoma is a mission law enforcement agency across the state, with a heavy focus every New Year's Eve.

The hope is everyone who goes out to ring in the New Year can safely get back home.

"Public Safety is our number one goal," said Trooper Foster.