HARTSVILLE, SC (WBTW) – Hartsville’s new DUI officer is getting praise for his success during his first 4 months on the job. It’s been a little more than 100 days since the Hartsville Police Department hired Officer Justin Reichard. He started back in January after the department won a Highway Safety Grant from the South Carolina Department of Public Safety.
Since then, he has logged more than 550 hours, assisted with 14 checkpoints, and has made two-thirds of the 33 arrests that have already been made this year. In all of 2017, Hartsville police made a total of 81 arrests. Lieutenant Mark Blair says the department is on track to make more than 100 DUI arrests in 2018.
Besides those 24 arrests, Officer Reichard has also issued several citations for other non-DUI road offenses like seatbelt violations, speeding, and driving with a suspended license. Officer Reichard also gives educational presentations throughout the community about the consequences of drunk driving. So far this year, he has spoken at three public forums. Lieutenant Mark Blair says the goal is to get people to fully understand the risks of getting behind the wheel while impaired.
“We want people to think ‘oh my gosh, I’m not going to drink and drive in hartsville because I’m going to get caught. I’m going to get me a sober driver or if I drink, I’m going to stay home,’” said Lt. Blair.
With three major law enforcement campaigns coming up this season— Buckle Up, South Carolina, Sober or Slammer, and the 100 Deadliest Days of Summer— you can expect more police presence on the roads and tougher DUI enforcement. Lt. Blair says that’s because there are more drivers on the roads in the summer time, more people heading to the beach, and teens and inexperienced drivers on the roads because school is out.
Lt Blair says Officer Reichard typically works during peak DUI hours (late at night and on weekends). But that’s not always the case. He says his schedule is very unpredictable and “you’ll never know when Reichard is going to be out.”
At this time, police do not have plans to hire more DUI-specific officers.