Bradley County Sheriff Eric Watson announced Wednesday a driver safety campaign, "Drink, Drive and Go to Jail."
“I know more people are going to be out on the roads during the summer and in order to keep our citizens safe, you can rest assure your Bradley County Sheriff’s Office will be there as well," said Sheriff Watson. "Our officers will always be courteous, fair, professional, and aggressively on the lookout for those who put your family and mine in danger by drinking and driving.
"Let’s face it, if a person cares about themselves and others so little as to get behind the wheel of a vehicle weighing up to 12,000 pounds while 'buzzed' or just plain drunk, they deserve to go straight to jail. That is, if the drunk driver doesn’t have an accident that leads to their death or the death of someone else.
"Every deputy sheriff with the Bradley County Sheriff’s Office is trained on how to spot a drunk driver. Each officer has a checklist that can readily determine if a person behind the wheel is impaired even before they employ the use of a breathalyzer or blood-alcohol reading. It all boils down to the fact that your Sheriff’s Office will use any legal and ethical means to keep impaired drivers off our roads.
"This is my first summer as sheriff of Bradley County and we are determined to make it a safe summer on our roadways. Expect to see many Bradley County patrol vehicles as well as unmarked vehicles and motorcycle patrol keeping our streets safe. We will also have our Marine Unit active, to ensure safety on the waterways. We will also be working hand-in-hand with our counterparts with the Cleveland Police Department and the Tennessee Highway Patrol.
"Let me repeat, your Sheriff’s Office will be pro-active in the hunt for dangerous drivers and they will not be tolerated. It’s quite simple, Drink, Drive and Go to Jail, said Sheriff Watson.