HIGHLAND LAKES, TX - A new task force wants to make sure that alcohol is not part of the fun on the Highland Lakes. For the first time in Central Texas, several law enforcement agencies have joined together to fight drunk driving on multiple fronts.
From the local and county level and up to the state, nearly 100 officers make up the Highland Lakes B.W.I. - D.W.I. Task Force. The new group enforces a simple motto -- "Don't Booze and Cruise."
"We're pooling our resources," said Captain Game Warden Kevin Davis."We're maximizing our efforts out here on the water by knowing where the other people are and what they're doing."
Davis' crew now patrols lakes Buchanan, Inks, L.B.J., Marble Falls and parts of Lake Travis in search of those looking to put others in danger.
Game Warden Cody Hatfield says he sees the problem often as he patrols many of the Highland Lakes.
"Sometimes alcohol brings out the worst in people," said Hatfield. "You never know what you might see."
The task force is enacting a no refusal policy 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Officers can freely check all boats for life jackets and licenses and do not need a reason to stop you. When they do, they say they will always look for evidence of alcohol.
A first conviction for a boating while intoxicated charge is a Class B misdemeanor. A second conviction is a Class A misdemeanor that can bring a $4,000 fine and up to a year in jail.
