On October 6th, 2015 communities across Texas will observe National Night Out by hosting neighborhood parties, turning on front porch lights, meeting with their local police officers and taking a positive stance against crime.
National Night Out was introduced in 1984 to promote involvement in crime prevention, police-community partnerships, and to send a message that neighborhoods are fighting back. National Night Out culminates annually in Texas on the first Tuesday of October. You can read more about it here: www. natw.org
This year the Town of Double Oak will be hosting its fourth National Night Out event at John B. Wright memorial park between the hours of 6-9 p.m. We are planning on having two bounce houses, a 9-1-1 call simulator staffed by a public safety dispatcher, Double Oak police officers and equipment, an anticipated visit from Sheriff Will Travis and staff from the sheriff’s department. Hamburgers, hot dogs and drinks will be provided courtesy of volunteer team members from Target. We look forward to meeting with you.
Drunk Driving
With the holidays approaching fast a few reminders about drunk driving:
Some good news: “In the United States, the number of drunk driving deaths has been cut in half since 1980,” according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration FARS data, 2012.
Education, DWI enforcement, airbags, seatbelt safety laws and the improved ability to report drunk drivers (establishment of 9-1-1 call centers and the proliferation of cellphones) have all combined to reduce intoxicated driving and literally save tens of thousands of lives.
Now the bad: “50 to 75 percent of convicted drunk drives continue to drive on a suspended license,” per Peck, R.C., Wilson, R.J., and Sutton, L. 1995.
This isn’t a surprise to police officers or district attorney’s offices. It’s a rare month when an officer doesn’t bump into a motorist driving on a suspended license.
“The rate of drunk driving is highest among 21 to 25 year olds (23.4 percent,” according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration “Drunk driving involvement in fatal crashes in 2011 was 4.5 times higher at night than during the day, says the National Highway Traffic Administration.
“In 2013, 10,076 people died in drunk driving crashes – one every 52 minutes – and 290,000 were injured in drunk driving crashes.”
It’s very, very hard to draw correlations between actions taken and a reduction in crime. How do you prove what didn’t happen? Maybe the reduction in deaths was due merely to coincidence and not increased enforcement, better designed cars, education programs, establishment of 9-1-1 call centers, and the efforts of Mothers against Drunk Driving. I strongly suspect that the reductions in death and injuries through intoxicated driving has been the result of a multitude of causations.
What I do know is that the current death and injury toll is still unacceptably high. As we go into the holiday season I ask you to remember as parents that the drinking behaviors you model will, in all probability, be those that your children follow. Please be a good role model for your family.
Thank you for the opportunity to serve.
Recent Police Calls
Criminal Mischief – 200 blk. Valley View Ln. – A resident discovered that an unknown person had damaged the window screen to their home by prying the frame with an unknown object.
Disturbance – 200 blk. W. FM 407, Argyle – Report of a male family member striking a female family member in their front yard. Suspect fled before officer arrival.
Information Report – 100 blk. Oakview Dr. – A passing motorist accidentally ran over a chicken.
Assist Agency – 5100 blk. Long Prairie Rd., Flower Mound – Officer dispatched at approximately 4:44 a.m. to an assist officer call at the Belk department store in Flower Mound. A FMPD Officer had found multiple masked suspects breaking into and then fleeing from the department store. DOPD Officer helped take one subject into custody and then assisted with a building search and establishment of a perimeter while officers from multiple agencies searched for other suspects.
Traffic Complaint – 900 blk. Cross Timbers Road – Four juveniles was operating a golf cart on a public roadway. Officer contacted their parents.
Assist Agency (Denton County) – 8300 blk. Fullerton St., Lantana – Officer responded to a report of a burglary in progress.
Disturbance – 200 blk. Fawn Hollow Dr., Argyle – Disturbance between family members regarding property. Dispute was civil in nature.
Suspicious Circumstances – 700 blk. Simmons Rd. – Officer observed a subject loading stone from an unoccupied new home site. Officer attempted contact with the contractor and the subject decided to leave the stone on site.
Assist Agency (Denton County) – 8300 blk. Elena Dr., Lantana – Officer responded to a 911 hang up call which was later determined to be a child playing on an old cell phone.
Fraud – 200 blk. Lake Trail Ct. – A resident received a telephone call from an unknown suspect, with a heavy accent, who identified themselves as a representative for the Internal Revenue Service. Subject threatened the resident with arrest if they did not pay. No financial loss occurred and no information was provided to the suspect.
Suspicious Activity – 100 blk. Fox Trot Ln. – Officer heard the sound of a bottle hitting the roadway and observed liquid under a vehicle. Upon further investigation officer detected the odor of alcohol and later found the subject to be in possession of drug paraphernalia. Subject was issued a citation to appear in court.
Animal Complaint – 100 blk. Oakview Dr. – Known dog got into a chicken coop and killed two chickens. Dog’s owner agreed to replace the chickens.
Suspicious Activity – 300 blk. E. Carruth Ln. – Officer observed a car parked the wrong direction and occupied by two adult males at 12:51 a.m. Further investigation resulted in the seizure of drug paraphernalia and the issuance of two citations to appear in court.
Animal Complaint – 200 blk. Double Oaks Dr. – An adult male exercising by walking down the street was bitten by a known dog. The dog’s owner was contacted by law enforcement and animal services is conducting a bite investigation.
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