Press Releases

Department sees successful close of Safe & Sober Campaign

Edina, Minn., Nov. 1, 2006 --  For the third year in a row, Edina police officers participated in the statewide Safe & Sober initiative administered by the Minnesota Office of Traffic Safety (OTS). Thirty-one Edina officers received specialized training in field sobriety evaluation and seat belt education, and worked alongside officers from the Richfield and Airport Police Departments for five successful waves of enforcement. These timed enforcement waves began in November 2005, and concluded September 2006, and included two waves which concentrated on speeding, two on DWI enforcement, and one focused on seat belt compliance.

“The results have all been tallied and we are very pleased with the quality and volume of our contacts with motorists,” said Sgt. Steve Stroh who, along with Sgt. Phil Larsen, managed the Edina involvement. “Seat belt compliance can save lives, and approximately 30 percent of our contacts were because of that issue, and 44 percent involved speeding, another dangerous situation. So we feel confident that somewhere in those contacts we may have saved a life. At the very least, we’ve done some important education,” said Stroh. 

“Another positive result of the initiative is the networking with other departments,” said Larsen. “It definitely fosters communication and in a crisis situation, or any subsequent situation, things run better when you know the people with whom you’re working.”

The Edina Police Department is pleased to continue participation in OTS initiatives as they become available. For more information, visit the OTS web site www.dps.state.mn.us/ots/  or call Stroh at 952-826-1610.