Athens-Clarke police conducted safety checkpoints at three intersections in Athens on New Year’s Eve that resulted in numerous traffic violations ranging from drunk driving arrests to seatbelt citations.

In the words of the checkpoint organizer, Sgt. Vincent Schill, the operation was “very successful.”

“Not only were we out there trying to get unsafe drivers off the road, but we were trying to educate the public,” Schill said Thursday.

Nine police officers were assigned to the operation and about 1,000 vehicles were stopped at the three locations, according to police.

The checkpoints were located at Cherokee Road at Satterfield Park, Epps Bridge Parkway at Old Epps Bridge Road and Lumpkin Street at Wray Street.

Shoot up: Employee at Boehringer Ingelheim charged with shooting up Athens manufacturing plant

The locations were selected primarily due to crash reports and DUI-related incidents that occurred during 2023, according to Schill. Other considerations in the site selections, he said, included locations where motorists could be safely stopped and traffic volumes.

The officers were able to interact with motorists, giving them educational materials and provide information on who to contact with traffic issues in their own neighborhoods, according to Schill.

Police have not regularly conducted such checkpoints in recent years due in large part to manpower and leadership changes, Schill said.

However, that is likely to change.

“We’re actually going to start conducting these quarterly – doing more proactive traffic enforcement,” he said.

The officers spent three hours at the Cherokee Road location, where police data shows they checked 703 vehicles. Among the cases made were a DUI charge, eight seatbelt citations, four child restraint citations and six DUI investigations that did not lead to charges.

There were 210 vehicles stopped at the Epps Bridge Parkway location during a time span of two hours and 10 minutes. Three DUI charges were made and five DUI investigations conducted without charges.

The officers spent nearly two hours on Lumpkin Street, where one DUI case was made, along with four underage consumption of alcohol citations and four DUI investigations without charges.

And police also spotted a theft crime in progress on nearby University of Georgia property.

“We were able to apprehend the subject and turn him over to UGA police. They ended up charging him,” Schill said.

This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Athens-Clarke police checkpoints resulted in tickets and arrests