Agencies stepping up enforcment April 19-21

Beginning April 19, and running through April 21, the Cloud County Sheriff's Department and the Concordia Police Department will join law enforcement agencies in Kansas, Iowa, Nebraska, Arkansas, Missouri and Oklahoma to stop what has been an increasing epidemic for the past several years.
In an effort to change this trend, law enforcement across the six-state area will be extra-vigilant when patrolling around city, state and federal highways.
Injuries and deaths continue to increase from both alcohol and drug impaired drivers.
Regardless of whether a drug is legal or illegal, it is a serious crime to drive while impaired by any drug. We can no longer share our roadways with these drug impaired drivers.
Impaired driving is not a victimless crime.
All drug recognition experts and advanced roadside impaired driver enforcement officers will be out in full force in an effort to remove this danger.
Officers will issue citations to any individual who refuses to obey the traffic laws, whether it is for driving while impaired, speeding, texting and driving or failing to buckle up.
Selecting this particular weekend to have an increased law enforcement presence on the roads is not random.
April 20, also known as “Weed Day,” is a day on which people light up their drugs at 4:20 p.m. as a celebration, and has been set as a date to draw attention to the drugged driving epidemic.
The Journal of American Medicine Association has found a 12 percent increase in the relative risk of a fatal crash, compared to identical time intervals on control days.
“Even one death is unacceptable. Please don't drive while impaired, slow down, put the phone away or turn it off and always buckle up,” Cloud County Sheriff Brian Marks said.