Iowa Department of Public Safety
Larry L. Noble, Commissioner
215 East 7th Street
Des Moines, Iowa 50319

Colonel Patrick J. Hoye, Chief

ISP GEARS UP FOR 2ND YEAR OF SAFE SATURDAYS

Des Moines, IOWA --- Building off the success of 2009, the Iowa Department of Public Safety’s Iowa State Patrol Division is preparing staff for another June of Safe Saturdays.  This month Troopers will be scheduled to ensure extra manpower on each and every Saturday throughout the month of June.  Troopers will be focused on removing drunk drivers from the roadways, as data indicates Saturdays in June are some of the deadliest days on Iowa roadways in recent years. 

“Last year when we started Safe Saturdays, I was hopeful it would be a good project, positively impacting Iowa,” said Colonel Patrick Hoye, Chief of the Iowa State Patrol. “But the project far exceeded my expectations.  It was so successful we’re doing it again in 2010.”

During 2009, Troopers increased their June OWI arrests by 120 percent over the previous year.  Additionally, they increased their speeding citations by 81 percent and their seat belt citations 51 percent.  During June of 2009, there were 34 fatalities on Iowa roadways, far fewer than the average 41.  Additionally, only one of the 34 fatalities occurred on a Saturday night where Troopers were working the Highways or Interstates.

Every sworn officer, regardless of rank, within the Iowa State Patrol will work the roads on a Safe Saturday.  The projects will be staggered geographically and District Lieutenants will outline specific written plans targeting speed, seatbelts and alcohol violations according to the needs of their area.  ISP Aircraft and LIDAR will be incorporated into the enforcement program, if weather permits. 

See the chart below to find out when Safe Saturdays are being executed in your area.

If you're a member of the media and would like to arrange a ride-along or coverage of the Safe Saturday operations in your area, please feel free to contact the local District Commander.

To enroll in the DPS E-mail Notification system simply log on to https://dpsemailnotify.iowa.gov and follow the instructions to enroll as a new user.