New Year’s Eve means an increase in calls to local law enforcement.
The first reminder from officer Kelley McKethan of the Bryan police department is turn down the music.
Another reminder is no fireworks are allowed inside the city limits of Bryan and College Station.
McKethan also called on gun owners to store and lock their weapons instead of firing them at midnight.
And you’re reminded to have a sober designated driver whenever there is alcohol.
Click below for comments from Kelley McKethan, visiting with WTAW’s Bill Oliver.
Joint news release from the Bryan, College Station, and Texas A&M police departments, the Brazos County sheriff’s office, and Brazos County constables offices:
Local Law Enforcement encourages you to have a safe and fun New Year’s Eve celebration by keeping the safety of others in mind. Many agencies will have extra staffing out on the streets during the New Year’s holiday to combat illegal activities.
Loud Music
We encourage people to be mindful of their neighbors when having parties. Officers will be out issuing citations for loud noise calls. Please keep music and noise down to a polite level during your celebrations.
Drinking and Driving
It is estimated that every 20 minutes in Texas, someone is injured or killed as a result of a crash involving alcohol. Officers will have zero tolerance for anyone behind the wheel of a motor vehicle after drinking alcoholic beverages. Officers will also use the no refusal concept where a search warrant for blood will be requested when a driver refuses to give a voluntary chemical sample.
A DWI is a class B misdemeanor and comes with a punishment of a fine up to $2,000, 3 to 180 days in jail, loss of a driver’s license up to a year, and annual fees of $1000 to keep your license valid. Those penalties are just for first time offenders with blood alcohol content (BAC) of 0.08 to 0.15. After that it gets tougher with increased fines and penalties.
Here are a few tips to stay safe this New Year’s:
o Don’t Drink and Drive – Plan while you can
o Call a taxi – if you are in a group, you can split the cab fare
o Call a friend – contact a sober friend to give you a ride home
o Call a tow truck – have them tow your vehicle home
o Call your parents or relatives – they would rather pick you up than get you out of jail
o Plan on staying the night at your location
Celebratory Gunfire Prohibited
“Celebratory gunfire” is the indiscriminate firing of a weapon into the air. Every year in America on New Year’s Eve, lives are lost as a result of “celebratory gunfire.” Many people are unaware of the dangers related to firing a weapon into the air and often do so without regard as to where the bullet may fall. When a bullet comes down it is traveling at a fatal velocity.
Disorderly Conduct with a firearm in the city limits is a class B misdemeanor that comes with jail time and a fine up to $2000. Please do not fire any weapons in the air or at the ground. Citizens are urged to immediately call 911 and report any unlawful discharge of a firearm.
Fireworks Prohibited
Discharging and Possessing opened fireworks in the city limits is prohibited. Avoiding the use of fireworks can lower the risk of personal injury and fire in our community.
Have a Happy New Year!