Central Otago’s new rural liaison police team is starting to crack down on drink drivers across the area.

In late 2023, five officers were appointed to the Central Otago rural team who have been actively canvassing the district and building up a database of information.

Alexandra Senior Constable Graham Perkins said the team was out on the roads seven days a week stopping drivers, and in some cases tracing back information to the source, such as licensed premises that last served the intoxicated drivers.

“There are still repercussions for where they are drinking the alcohol, and if it’s on licensed premises then they will go and speak to the owners.”

A police checkpoint near Alexandra on June 9 stopped 250 drivers, and only one 32-year-old man was found over the limit with a reading of 460mcg.

On the same night, a 40-year-old Cromwell man had his licence suspended after recording an excess breath alcohol reading of 837mcg.

Snr Const Perkins said a friend then went and picked up his car keys, but they found their way back to the driver, who decided to head to Wanaka, where he crashed his vehicle and then sped off without reporting it.

He now faces a driving while suspended charge, failing to stop to ascertain injury, and breaching both a police safety order and a protection order.

On June 7, another drink driver was stopped on the Alexandra-Clyde road and a 22-year-old man was processed and returned a reading of 783mcg.

On the same day in Millers Flat a driver was stopped by the rural team after swerving all over the road and then throwing a glass bottle out the window.

On June 5 a woman in her late 40s was stopped for speeding near Omakau. She had an excess breath alcohol reading of 727mcg.

A 47-year-old man was stopped in the Gibbston Valley on June 2 and had an excess breath alcohol reading of 1589mcg - almost four times over the legal limit. 

Snr Const Perkins said a member of the public alerted police to the driver who was swerving all over the road. He was also charged with dangerous driving.