JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Thanksgiving is one of the biggest holiday seasons of the year -- a time to see family, loved ones and even old friends. But as much as officials want you to enjoy reconnecting, they also want to make sure all drinking is done responsibly.
The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office is stepping up patrols on the streets, checkpoints around the city and patrols at some of Jacksonville's major upcoming events.
"Be responsible. Be an adult. We're given certain rights as adults. Don't infringe on someone else's rights by way of your good time," said Officer Chris Hancock.
Police will be everywhere, from checkpoints on the interstate to smaller streets right around the corner from your home.
"We're going to have the DUI units out there. We're going to have the patrolling out there. As far as stepping up, we have some events that will be stepped up obviously. There's going to be more out there working than normal because of all the special events," Hancock said.
News4Jax spoke with Crime and Safety Analyst Gil Smith who said just because the legal limit is .08, people could still be arrested if police think you're intoxicated.
According to Smith, ".08 is not the only indicator for DUI. They do have field sobriety test that you have pass in order to continue driving and if you don't pass this test they can still conduct an arrest even if you blow that limit."
According to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor vehicles, the annual number of DUI citations issued in northeast Florida have decreased from 50, 377 in 2013 to 49,776 DUI citations issued last year.
And though those numbers don't show how many tickets were issued during Thanksgiving, police want people to have a good time, but in a safe manner.
"Have a great time, we want you to have a great time but again not at someone else's expense and definitely not at someone's life. Don't take someone else's life because of something silly that you do in an instant," Hancock said.
Police will be stepping up security at Thursday's run in Mandarin, Friday's Christmas tree lighting and Saturday's light boat parade.
AAA will also be offering their Tow to Go service to make sure drivers have a safe ride home.
Whether you are a AAA member or not, you can call for a Tow to Go ride at (855) 2-TOW-2-GO or (855) 286-9246, anytime Wednesday through Saturday night and AAA will safely transport you and your vehicle home or somewhere safe within 10 miles.