PETALUMA – According to a Petaluma Police Department (PPD) Advisory, a Special DUI Warrant Service Operation recently attempted to service 24 active warrants on high-risk DUI offenders.
Apparently some drunk driving offenders assume that law enforcement departments don’t have the budgets to come after them should they decide not to show up for their assigned court hearings. Officer Dustin Rodrigues of the PPD Special Operations unit will tell you, “Don’t count on it.”
PPD officers fanned out into city neighborhoods earlier Monday, August 31, in search of the absent-minded DUI offenders. The 24 active warrants involved offenders who either missed their court appearances or they had failed to show up for hearings involving violating the terms of their probation(s). The PPD arrested 6 suspects in the sweep with outstanding DUI warrants. Those caught not only run the likelihood of additional jail time, but they also face personal embarrassment as they are led away in handcuffs often in front of family, friends and/or co-workers.
The PPD says that the Special DUI Warrant Service Operations along with “High Visibility” DUI enforcement have both had a deterrent effect on those who disregard driving safety and abuse alcohol and drugs.
PPD places a high priority on lowering death and injury with the goal of removing impaired drivers from the roads. Funding for the operation is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
The Petaluma police reported the following as having been arrested on August 31 on outstanding warrants:
- John E Haines, 62 of Petaluma
- Robert C Fairbanks, 71 of Petaluma
- Tyler C. Baribault, 24 of Petaluma
- Kee J. Haskell, 85 of Petaluma
- Carl E Dehnert III of Petaluma
- Eric C. Bredehoft, 50 of Petaluma
Additionally, Darryl L Hagedon was arrested on an outstanding bench warrant, but related to previous arrests for burglary, petty theft, possession of controlled substances, and giving false information to police, from earlier this year and in 2014.
