‘Zero for December’ campaign begins with 11 arrests

In an effort to reduce the number of traffic fatalities during the holiday season, the Louisiana State Police Troop C kicked off the annual “Zero for December” campaign in Terrebonne Parish.

On Friday, Dec. 1, from 9 p.m. to 4 a.m. Saturday morning, a multi-agency task force including the Terrebonne Parish District Attorney’s Office, Troop C and the Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Department conducted a DWI checkpoint near Schriever Volunteer Fire Station.

Trooper First Class Rodney Hyatt, public information officer, said approximately 550 vehicles entered the checkpoint. As a result, two people were arrested for DWI.

In addition to the two DWI arrests, law enforcement officers arrested nine more offenders on drug charges, which ranged from simple possession of marijuana to possession of crack cocaine, he said.

This was the first of many DWI checkpoints in the Troop C area to be conducted during the month of December. Other agencies, including the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office and the St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff’s Office, will have DWI checkpoints and details throughout the month.

To help reach the goal of having zero fatalities, Hyatt said Troop C and local law enforcement agencies within the area need the community’s help in achieving the goal.

“The holiday season is a time of happiness and celebration. It is not the time to be planning a funeral. We asked that the people continue to make the right decision to not drink and drive this holiday season,” the public information officer said.

According to Hyatt, the law enforcement agencies were pleased to see a large number of designated drivers that came through the checkpoints Friday night. “It is a good sign that people are getting the message that their lives or someone else’s life is not worth risk of drinking impaired,” he said.

Other education campaigns, headed by Troop C, will focus on awareness of highways safety issues and informing the media of special details conducted throughout December, while still enforcing campaigns such as DWI checkpoints and saturations details.