Tampa Police Department DUI Unit
TPD's DUI enforcement unit includes twelve (12) uniformed officers, two (2) Corporals and a Sergeant. The TPD DUI unit works seven days a week focusing on patrols and backup for other officers during the evening and early morning hours. Although the City of Tampa has about one third of the total population in Hillsborough County, the Tampa Police Department makes about nearly one half of the arrests for DUI cases in the entire county.
In 2011, officers with the Tampa Police Department made 2,188 arrests for DUI. If you have been arrested for a DUI by an officer with the Tampa Police Department, then call our office to speak directly with an attorney about your case. The attorneys in our office focus on DUI cases in Tampa.
TPD's List of Hot Spots for DUI Arrests
The TPD officers consistently frequent certain parts of the city. In fact, their website even includes a "Top 10 List of Locations for DUI Arrests in the City of Tampa" which includes the following locations:
- The Channelside District (which includes popular dinning, bars, night clubs, the exit and entrance for Tampa commercial cruises, and visitors of the Tampa Bay Lightning game at the St Pete Times Forum);
- The Courtney Campbell Causeway (western portions of State Road 60 which connects Tampa to Clearwater);
- The northern half of the Dale Mabry Corridor (from Hillsborough Avenue to Kennedy Boulevard near Mons Venus, George M. Steinbrenner Field, Raymond James Stadium and the Tampa International Airport);
- The Hillsborough Avenue Corridor (from I-275 to Dale Mabry);
- NOHO (which is short for North Howard Avenue which runs from Kennedy Boulevard to I-275 near the University of Tampa);
- Kennedy Corridor (Dale Mabry to the Hillsborough River);
- Nebraska Avenue (from Fowler Avenue to Waters Avenue);
- SOHO (which is short for "South Howard Avenue" which is Hyde Park's entertainment district that starts at Kennedy Boulevard and runs through Cleveland Street, Platt Street and Swann Avenue);
Training Requirements for Tampa Police Department DUI Officers
The twelve officers with the Tampa Police Department DUI enforcement unit have all completed a course by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (called "NHTSA") called "Detection and Apprehension of Impaired Drivers." Many of the TPD DUI officers have received additional training to be "DUI Instructors."
TPD Standard Operating Procedures
TPD Standard Operating Procedures (PDF 12 MB) - Read more about the standard operating procedures required for DUI enforcement officers with the TPD including a requirement that the entire DUI investigation is audio and video recorded.
TPD's System of In-Vehicle Video Recording
The standard operating procedures for DUI enforcement requires TPD DUI enforcement officers video their DUI investigations. These videos should include the initial driving patters (when the stop is conducted by a DUI enforcement officer), the initial encounter with the driver, the request for roadside agility exercises (often called "standard field sobriety exercises"), the arrest, and the transportation to Hillsborough County's Central Breath Testing facility at the Orient Road Jail.
If the officer violates this policy or claims that the in-vehicle video recording equipment was not working properly, then the defense attorney can move to dismiss the entire case or at least the officer's testimony about facts that should have been recorded. The officers should also follow certain procedures when the equipment is not working property so that individual officers in the field cannot unilaterially decide when to use the equipment.
TPD's Zero Tolerance of Underaged Driver's Who Drink
Each officer with the Tampa Police Department DUI enforcement unit is assigned a portable breath-testing device that can be used to test underaged drivers at the scene of the stop whenever a driver under the age of 21 is stopped during a DUI investigation.
TPD's Wolfpack Operations for DUI Enforcement
The Wolfpack Operations by the Tampa Police Department include "aggressive" patrols around certain areas that TPD determines to be traveled frequently by drunk or impaired drivers. Unlike DUI roadblock and checkpoint operations, the Wolfpack Operations occur without any prior warning or guidelines.
Association of TPD with Community Organizations Opposed to Alcohol
The Tampa Police Department has a longstanding relationship with the Tampa Alcohol Coalition (TAC) and the Hillsborough County Chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD).
You can also follow the Tampa Police Department on Facebook. TPD has recently produced a series of educational videos covering a variety of law enforcement issues and community outreach activities. Also find employment information from the Tampa Police Department including job and salary information.
Conclusion
Call a Tampa DUI Attorney at the Sammis Law Firm for a free consultation to discuss your case. We focus on DUI cases in HIllsborough County.
DUI Resources for Tampa Police Department's Drunk Driving Unit
Tampa Police Department's DUI Unit - Read more about the Tampa Police Department's DUI enforcement efforts including information on in-car video systems to record everything from the traffic pattern to field sobriety exercises to the arrest to the transportation to the jail. This page on TPD's DUI enforcement unit also provides information on common DUI myths, its relationship with the Hillsborough County Chapter of MADD, TPD's Wolfpack Operation, and TPD's list of the 10 ten arrest locations.
Tampa Police Department Headquarters
One Police Center
411 N. Franklin Street
Tampa, Florida 33602
Patrol District 1 of the Tampa Police Department
3818 W. Tampa Bay Blvd.
Tampa, FL 33614
Patrol District 1 or call (813) 354-6600
Covering West Tampa, South Tampa, West Shore and Davis Island
Patrol District 2 of the Tampa Police Department
9330 N. 30th Street
Tampa, FL 33612
Patrol District 2 or call (813) 931-6500
Covering North Tampa and Tampa Palms
Patrol District 3 of the Tampa Police Department
3808 N. 22nd Street
Tampa, FL 33610
Patrol District 3 or call (813) 242-3800
Covering Downtown Tampa, East Tampa, Ybor City, and Port of Tampa
Tampa Police Department Delayed Crime Reporting - TPD wants you to use this service to report crimes that are non-emergency crimes handled by the TPD District Latent Investigation Squads. These crimes include Identity Theft, Lost or Found Property, Vehicle Burglary, Grand and Petty Thefts, Stolen Tags and Vehicles, Forgeries, Criminal Mischief (Vandalism), Harassing or Threatening Phone Calls, and Lost or Stolen Cellular Phones.
Tampa Police Department Records Section - Call (813) 276-3250 for inquiries concerning reports kept by the Tampa Police Department's Records Section.