By David Eck
Enquirer contributor

SHARONVILLE - A newly formed Hamilton County task force targeting drunken drivers and underage drinkers has begun this holiday weekend, one of the most heavily traveled of the year.

The task force, made up of 13 law enforcement agencies, will use increased patrols and checkpoints to stop drivers they believe may be drunk, officials said today.

"The goal is to remove (impaired) people from the roadways," said Sharonville Police Lt. Mark Preuss, task force coordinator.

The force is being paid for through a $127,000 grant from the federal gasoline tax, said Chris Robertson, law enforcement liaison for the governor's highway safety office. It is one of 10 in the state.

"You will see a lot of officers out," Preuss said. "Each agency will be working in their own communities."

In 2002, Hamilton County recorded 1,104 alcohol-related crashes; 20 people died in 18 of those accidents, officials said. During the same period, 419 alcohol-related crashes injured 633 people.

Police agencies involved in the task force are: Glendale, Cincinnati, Forest Park, Sharonville, Mount Healthy, Loveland, Greenhills, Norwood, Amberley Village, Colerain Township, Springfield Township, Hamilton County sheriffs office and the Ohio State Highway Patrol. And more will be added.

"It can be tailored to the local community's needs," Robertson said.

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