Our team contacted the Polk County Sheriff’s Office and police departments in Lakeland, Winter Haven, Haines City, Lake Wales and Auburndale to independently gather Labor Day weekend DUI and traffic enforcement data.
We also reached out beyond Polk County to see how Labor Day enforcement looked across the region, receiving numbers from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, Highlands County Sheriff’s Office and the Florida Highway Patrol’s Tampa Bay area.
Thank you to each agency and city for taking the time to provide these enforcement numbers.
Labor Day Weekend DUI & Traffic Enforcement Results
Numbers independently obtained from law enforcement agencies across Polk County and surrounding areas.
Polk County
Polk County Sheriff’s Office*
Lakeland Police Department
Lake Wales Police Department*
Winter Haven Police Department*
Haines City Police Department
Auburndale Police Department*
Surrounding Areas
Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office
Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office
Florida Highway Patrol – Tampa Bay Area
Highlands County Sheriff’s Office*
* Additional Details
- Polk County Sheriff’s Office: PCSO said its Labor Day enforcement initiative was focused primarily on Interstate 4.
- Lake Wales Police: One of the department’s two DUI arrests involved DUI with property damage.
- Winter Haven Police: The department did not conduct a dedicated DUI enforcement operation. Its one DUI arrest was made by an on-duty patrol squad. Officers conducted proactive patrols, and the Marine Unit patrolled area lakes all three days with no issues reported.
- Auburndale Police: The department reported 125 traffic stops and 44 traffic citations from Sept. 4 through Sept. 7. A DUI arrest total was not included in its response.
- Highlands County Sheriff’s Office: The agency also reported one Super Speeder violation.
- Enforcement strategies and reporting methods varied among agencies. Some conducted dedicated enforcement initiatives, while others reported activity from routine or proactive patrols. The figures should not be interpreted as direct comparisons of agency performance.
SOURCE: Agency responses provided directly to Eye In The Sky News
