Montgomery County police are ending their Alcohol Initiatives Unit, Assistant Chief David McBain confirmed to MCM this week. Officers from the unit will move into vacant positions in traffic enforcement, crisis response and school safety instead.
McBain cited reduced staffing levels among sworn officers and the department’s operational needs as the reasons for the change.
“The positions currently assigned to AIU will be utilized to fill vacant positions within the department,” McBain said. That includes the Centralized Traffic Unit, the Crisis Response & Support Unit and the School Resources Unit.
The Alcohol Initiatives Unit worked to keep impaired drivers off the road. It’s part of the department’s Special Operations Bureau, which also oversees traffic safety and other specialized enforcement functions.
McBain said the department remains committed to DUI enforcement despite the unit’s closure.
“MCPD recognizes the impact that impaired driving has on the community and the importance of impaired driving and alcohol enforcement,” McBain said. He said DUI enforcement will continue through the Holiday Alcohol Task Force, which will be mobilized during the upcoming Labor Day weekend, and the Summer Alcohol Task Force. Regular checkpoints, staffed by MCPD and regional partners, will also continue.
What this means for DUI enforcement
Going forward, DUI enforcement will rely on task forces and periodic checkpoints rather than a single, standing unit dedicated to the issue year-round. MCPD typically schedules checkpoints and saturation patrols around specific dates or seasons, like holidays, rather than running them continuously.
