Police Patrols Are Increasing Ahead Of Holiday Weekend

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO)-- This Thanksgiving, the Department of Public Safety wants you to crash at a friend's, not on the road.

Starting tomorrow, there will be a statewide increase of DWI patrols, all in an effort to keep drunk drivers off the road.

And for one officer who lost his mom and her boyfriend to a drunk driver, this campaign is personal.

"On my way home I received a text from her saying, 'love you, XXOO' in all capital letters," said Officer Joe Kalla of Big Lake Police Department  "I never had the opportunity to reply to her while she was alive, cause two hours after that both her and John were killed by a drunk driver."

Last year, more than 2,700 drivers were arrested in Minnesota over the holiday weekend.

This Thanksgiving, police want to remind the public that buzz driving is drunk driving. And if you plan on drinking, they recommend planning a ride home ahead of time.