Some think if they don’t show up for a court hearing, the police won’t have the manpower to come find them. But according to the Glendale Police Dept., if the violation is a DUI (Driving Under the Influence) don’t count on it.

GPD officers with dozens of outstanding arrest warrants will be fanning out into neighborhoods in search of high risk DUI offenders. Officers will be serving warrants and arresting those who either failed to show up for a court date or violated terms of their probation in an outstanding DUI case.

“The best bet for anyone with a missed DUI court date is to go to court on their own now,” said Sgt. Bouzikian of the GPD. “If you don’t, that warrant isn’t going away. We’re going to come find you and take you to jail.”

Those caught often face additional jail time for failing to appear in court or for violating probation. When family, friends and co-workers find out, violators can also face personal embarrassment as they are led away in handcuffs, as well as missing work while sitting in jail.

Special DUI Warrant Service Operations, along with regularly scheduled “high visibility” DUI enforcement, has a deterrent effect on those who disregard driving safety and who abuse alcohol and drugs. The Glendale Police Dept. places a high priority on lowering deaths and injuries with the goal of removing impaired drivers and heightening awareness of the dangers of driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol.

Funding for the operation is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.