Larimer County law enforcement launch NOCO R.A.I.D. Team to eliminate impaired driving

Larimer County law enforcement agencies today announced the formation of the state’s first full-time, multi-jurisdictional impaired driving task force to identify and apprehend impaired drivers. The new task force, the Northern Colorado ‘Remove All Impaired Drivers’ Team (NOCO R.A.I.D. Team) was introduced as the state’s first permanent DUI enforcement task force.

The NOCO R.A.I.D. Team is comprised entirely of Drug Recognition Experts (DREs) — specially trained officers with the highest level of nationally standardized training in the identification of impaired drivers. This first-of-its-kind team of officers will be working year-round to identify and remove impaired drivers in Larimer County. The NOCO R.A.I.D. Team will initially be comprised of the Loveland Police Department, Larimer County Sherriff’s Office and Windsor Police Department, with the goal of adding additional law enforcement agencies in the near future.

“This specialty task force will dedicate all of their time to impaired driving enforcement and prevention throughout Larimer County,” said Shoshana Lew, CDOT Executive Director. “The participating officers will enforce impaired driving violations across jurisdictions. This dedicated team of specially-trained officers from multiple agencies is an innovative and more effective strategy to end impaired driving.”

In 2017 there were 177 alcohol-related fatalities in Colorado, which is an increase of 22.9% over five years. There were also 93 drug-impaired fatalities in 2017. In Larimer County specifically, there were 12 alcohol-impaired and four drug-impaired fatalities in 2017. Larimer County is the sixth-largest county in Colorado.

Multi-jurisdiction teams, such as the NOCO R.A.I.D. Team, help extend the reach and impact of law enforcement agencies. This model has been shown successful in reducing other issues facing counties statewide, including drug task forces, burglary task forces, and auto theft task forces.

The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) is funding the multi-jurisdiction task force and will continue collaborating with key stakeholders in Larimer County to create an ongoing funding source for the team. The NOCO R.A.I.D. Team supports CDOT’s Whole System — Whole Safety initiative wherein safety is a top priority. This partnership with Larimer County law enforcement aims to increase the safety of our roadways.

REMEMBER: SLOW FOR THE CONE ZONE

The following tips are to help you stay safe while traveling through maintenance and construction work zones.

• Do not speed in work zones. Obey the posted speed limits.
• Stay Alert! Expect the unexpected.
• Watch for workers. Drive with caution.
• Don’t change lanes unnecessarily.
• Avoid using mobile devices such as phones while driving in work zones.
• Turn on headlights so that workers and other drivers can see you.
• Be especially alert at night while driving in work zones.
• Expect delays, especially during peak travel times.
• Allow ample space between you and the car in front of you.
• Anticipate lane shifts and merge when directed to do so.
• Be patient!