Operation Surf and Turf: Joint Effort Removes Impaired Operators on Water and Roadway
On May 31, 2024, Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) wildlife officers partnered with the Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP) and the Metro Nashville Police Department with a common goal: to remove impaired operators. All these departments agree that operating any vehicle or vessel under the influence is dangerous, whether you are on the water or on the roadways of Tennessee.
From 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., wildlife officers conducted boat patrols accompanied by troopers to assist with vessel stops and boating under the influence (BUI) investigations. They saturated J. Percy Priest Lake and apprehended two operators suspected of BUI. Officers also issued numerous other citations for violations of boating safety laws.
From 10 p.m. to 1 a.m., wildlife officers assisted THP and Metro Nashville police with a sobriety checkpoint along Bell Road, situated between two busy boat ramps. More than 30 troopers, metro officers, and wildlife officers participated in the checkpoint to identify impairment, either through personal contact or by conducting seated field sobriety tests.
With nearly 600 cars passing through the checkpoint, officers and troopers removed nine DUI-impaired operators from Bell Road that night and issued dozens of citations and warnings for equipment violations, open container law violations, possession of firearms while impaired, drug possession, license violations, seat belt violations, and insurance violations.
These partnerships are crucial for maintaining solidarity among law enforcement in the fight against all forms of impaired driving. BUI and DUI are senseless crimes that are 100% preventable. Without the dedication of wildlife officers, deputies, and troopers, many more innocent boaters and vehicle operators would be at risk of injury or death.