Happy 4th of July from the Hartsville Police Department! We hope that everyone has a great time next week celebrating our independence with family and friends. Celebrations involve good food off of the grill, fireworks after dark, and sometimes alcohol. Too often, our celebrations turn into tragedy when someone decides to drink and drive. The 4th of July is considered one of the deadliest holidays due to impaired drivers. We ask that you have a designated driver if your celebrations include drinking alcohol. If you are hosting a party, please make sure your guests have a way to get home safely. If you see someone you suspect is impaired, please call 911 immediately. The Hartsville Police Department wants everyone to make it home safe this year.
To make sure everyone makes it home safely, HPD will be stepping up the enforcement of impaired driving. Public Safety checkpoints will be used as part of our effort during this holiday and during Operation Southern Shield that runs from July 14th to July 20th. Operation Southern Shield is a joint operation with law enforcement agencies from Georgia, Florida, Alabama and Tennessee. The goal is to increase enforcement to deter speeding, DUI, distracted driving, and seatbelt violations. Our DUI officer will be out and about during peak offense times making sure the streets in the City of Hartsville are safer for our residents and visitors. We will remain committed to our goal to keep everyone safe, and continue to adhere to the mission of Target Zero Traffic Deaths. Please join us in making this mission a reality.