Grant Deployment Results

     On Saturday April 4, 2015 Deputies and Officers from the Sauk County Sheriff’s Office, Sauk Prairie Police Department, Baraboo Police Department, Lake Delton Police Department, and the Reedsburg Police Department participated in an OWI Task Force enforcement detail in the Lake Delton and Wisconsin Dells area.  Each of these departments placed Deputies and Officers out in this area to specifically combat drunk driving.  All officer wages are being funded by a grant distributed by Wisconsin Bureau of Transportation Safety (BOTS).

     Prior to this deployment the agencies released the date, time, and location of the deployment.  Our goal is to gain compliance and prevent people from driving drunk hoping that they will see how easy it is to make safe arrangements if they have been drinking.

     During this deployment, Deputies and Officers issued 31 traffic citations and 21 written warnings.  In addition they made 1 warrant arrest and 2 drug arrests.  No drunk drivers were arrested during this deployment.

     The drug investigation was the result of a Baraboo Police Officer, working the grant, making a traffic stop on a vehicle on CTH H and STH 13 for an equipment violation.  During the course of the investigation the Officer was able to detect an odor of marijuana coming from inside the vehicle and observed what appeared to be marijuana inside the vehicle.  The Officer conducted a search and located a total of 43.8 grams of marijuana, marijuana smoking devices and paraphernalia, marijuana weighing and packaging material, and open intoxicants.  Gunnar G. Tempest, age 18, of Reedsburg, was arrested for Possession of Marijuana with Intent to Deliver, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.  He was also cited for Underage Drinking, Open Intoxicants, and Failure to Fasten Seatbelt.  Tempest was incarcerated in the Sauk County Jail.  The operator, a 16 year old, was cited for Graduated Drivers License violation, and two juvenile passengers were cited for Failure to Fasten Seatbelts.

     There are three deployments scheduled for the month of Saturday May 9 in the Sauk City area, Friday May 15 in the Lake Delton area for Automotion, and Friday May 22 on the Highway 12 Corridor from Sauk City to Lake Delton and the Highway 33 Corridor from Baraboo to Reedsburg.  We would like to remind motorists that this is a formalized deployment and that each agency routinely has Deputies and Officers on duty targeting drunk driving and you are encouraged to always find a safe alternative to driving drunk.

Sheriff Chip Meister               Sauk County Sheriff’s Office

Chief Jerry Strunz                  Sauk Prairie Police Department

Chief Mark Schauf                  Baraboo Police Department

Chief Daniel Hardman            Lake Delton Police Department

Chief Tim Becker                    Reedsburg Police Department