The Oneida County Sheriff’s Office
maintains a Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) enforcement patrol. Two uniform
Deputy Sheriffs are assigned to DWI patrol; one each on the afternoon and
midnight shifts. The Deputies are assigned specifically to DWI enforcement and
education. The funding for these positions is reimbursed by the
Oneida County Stop DWI Program with fine monies of drivers who have
been convicted of alcohol related driving offenses.
The DWI Patrol Deputies target specific areas of the county on an alternating
schedule. Target areas are selected based upon traffic, special events and
historical enforcement data. In addition to enforcement, the DWI Patrols serve
as a deterrent to Driving While Intoxicated. The visibility of the specially
designated and marked patrol cars is intended to help a driver decide if he/she
is too intoxicated to operate a vehicle.
Since the inception of the County’s Stop DWI Program in 1981, there has been a
dramatic decrease in the number of alcohol involved traffic accident injuries
and fatalities on Oneida County roadways (Stop
DWI Annual Report 2003). Enforcement by the Sheriff’s DWI Patrols has
been a significant factor in this decrease.