Driving While Impaired Task Force

Driving While Impaired Task Force Group PhotoThe Driving While Impaired (DWI) Task Force is a multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional unit comprised of the Winston-Salem Police Department, Forsyth County Sheriff's Office and Kernersville Police Department. The Task Force was formed in 2010, through grant funding from the North Carolina Governor's Highway Safety Program. This was the first grant funded unit in the state solely focused on DWI violators.

Responsibilities

The primary responsibilities of this unit include patrolling and enforcing traffic laws city/countywide while searching for DWI violators. The unit conducts DWI and License Checkpoints in addition to Nighttime Seatbelt Initiatives and participates in all North Carolina Department of Transportation Governor's Highway Safety Program sponsored events/campaigns, such as Booze It or Lose It, No Need to Speed, and Click It or Ticket. The unit also created and instructs the IMPACT (Consequences of DWI) Program for all Winston-Salem Forsyth County Drivers Education classes upon request.

Statistics

During its first 8 years, from October 1, 2010 to September 2018, the unit produced:

  • 4,861 DWI charges
  • 12,823 other traffic and criminal charges
  • 456 vehicle seizures related to DWI charges
  • 84 firearms seized
  • 4,072+ grams of narcotics seized with a street value of $91,881
  • $13,425 in U.S. currency seized
  • The unit also taught 457 IMPACT classes to 16,404 high school students.