Brown County OWI Task Force releases stats

BELLEVUE - Dan Joppe's been serving drinks for the past 15 years – the last nine at St. Brendan's Inn.

"It's kind of a stigma, where people didn't seem to worry about it, say 10, even 15 years ago,” said Joppe of customers drinking and driving. “Now, it's definitely something on people's minds, on our customer's minds. We see a difference across the bar."

A difference of how people plan ahead, if they're going out to grab a drink.

According to the State Patrol, the number of traffic-related deaths has increased in the state over the past three years, from 562 to 601 in 2012.

Though, during that same time, traffic fatalities in Brown County declined from 29 to 13. Within those county numbers, fatalities where alcohol was a contributing factor also declined from 11 to four.

And officials say the number of fatalities can get to zero.

“It was 11 before the Task Force started. We dropped it down to nine and last year having four alcohol-related traffic fatalities in Brown County, we're close," said Mike Panosh, Regional Program Manager with the Wisconsin State Patrol.

The federally funded Brown County OWI Task Force, started in February 2011, says those numbers match up with what it is seeing out on the roads.

"This is having a noticeable affect on behavior,” said Capt. Randy Schultz with the Brown County Sheriff’s Department. “And that's what we want to achieve."

Both Panosh and Schultz say the goal of the task force isn't to bust drunken drivers. Instead it looks to change the state's drinking culture.

Schultz admits publicizing when the task force will be out can hurt the overall effort.

"We've reached the ones that will make the right choice. Now do we need to change, somehow to reach the others, we very well might be there," said Schultz.

Schultz says the task force is working with the Brown County Tavern League, taxi companies and bars to try and address issues that come up.

One issue being the ticketing of vehicles left by responsible drinkers overnight.

The task force is also looking for ways to improve the program, wanting input from the public.