Task Force Grant

News Release

     Sauk County Sheriff Chip Meister and the Sauk County Police Chiefs are pleased to announce that Sauk County has been chosen to participate in an alcohol task force grant to combat drunk driving.  The grant is distributed by Wisconsin Bureau of Transportation Safety and will be used to reimburse participating agencies in overtime costs to put additional officers out on the streets to target specific areas for drunk driving enforcement.  The participating agencies in Sauk County are the Sauk County Sheriff’s Office, Baraboo Police Department, Lake Delton Police Department, Sauk Prairie Police Department, and the Reedsburg Police Department.  This grant will run from December of this year through September 2015.

     During deployments each of these agencies will provide at least one officer and together they will conduct a high visibility traffic enforcement detail in the pre-designated area with an emphasis on drunk driving.  We plan on publicizing the dates and locations ahead of time and will work with local Barbuddies and other safe ride programs so people know there is a safer alternative than driving while intoxicated.

     The first planned deployment for this grant will be taking place on December 13, 2014 in the Baraboo and West Baraboo area.  In addition to this deployment, the Sauk County Sheriff’s Office will have additional Deputies working drunk driving enforcement on November 22, November 26, December 6, December 19, December 20, and December 31.

     We encourage people to plan ahead for a safe ride home when consuming alcoholic beverages so everyone can have a safe and happy holiday season.  Barbuddies Boo in the Baraboo area can be reached at (608) 370-4354.  Sauk Prairie Barbuddies covers Sauk Prairie, Merrimac and the Leland/Denzer areas and can be requested by calling (608) 370-4300.  Local taxi cab service numbers are; Baraboo Transit 356-8300, Wisconsin Dells Taxi 253-7433, Kangaroo Taxi 432-4627, Sureway Taxi 253-2129, Reedsburg Cab 768-1144, and Sauk Prairie Transit (until 6pm) 644-9616.

Sheriff Chip Meister               Sauk County Sheriff’s Office

Chief Mark Schauf                  Baraboo Police Department

Chief Dan Hardman                Lake Delton Police Department

Chief Jerry Strunz                    Sauk Prairie Police Department

Chief Tim Becker                    Reedsburg Police Department