“About 80% of available officers are all working right now,” said Sgt. Jeff Carlisle of the North Sacramento unit.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — As the sun sets on Thanksgiving, the work is just getting started for California Highway Patrol (CHP) officers working the holidays.
The law enforcement agency tasked with protecting our roads during the busiest travel days of the year is operating at ‘maximum enforcement’.
The statewide policy means that each CHP office will maximize the number of officers working, weekends through Sunday evenings.
“About 80% of available officers are all working right now,” said Sgt. Jeff Carlisle of the North Sacramento unit.
While the day remained relatively slow, ABC10 drove along Carlisle and found the evening hours continued to get busier.
During our hour and a half with him, we saw him do the following:
- Stop a speeding car
- Helping a driver with a flat tire on the side of the highway
- Recall a concerned citizen who reported a DUI
- Assist an officer during a difficult encounter
After dropping off our crew, Carlisle said he immediately arrested a suspected drunk driver, another officer made a separate arrest, and a pedestrian was fatally struck and killed in a collision.
“Just in the last 15 to 20 minutes I’ve already heard a common increase in DUI drivers,” Carlisle said as the dispatcher continued to update him on the whereabouts of his officers.
This makes sense, as many hit the road after eating and drinking in the afternoon.
“Compared to other holidays, Thanksgiving and possibly Christmas vacation, the DUI chaos is going to pick up earlier in the evening than it would on New Year’s Eve,” Carlisle said.
While DUI enforcement tops their list, Carlisle said their other priorities include breakdown assistance, speed and seatbelt enforcement.
All to help protect the many drivers and passengers on the roads. For Thanksgiving 2022, AAA predicted that 54.6 million people would walk 50 miles or more from home.
That’s why the CHP agents are out in force.
“Not just how many officers are there, but let’s strategically place them in areas where they’re going to be effective with our resources and do the best they can,” Carlisle said.
A lot of work for a simple goal: “Getting drivers safely from point A to point B,” he said.
Carlisle has been doing this job for 20 years, but even though he works Thanksgiving, he’s grateful.
“Most of the time, as I get closer and closer to retirement, I will look back and think about times when I may have been able to help people.”
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