WOULD Y'ALL LIKE FRIES WITH THAT?

A Surrey RCMP campaign that goes after drunk drivers by stationing
plainclothes officers in fast-food drive-thrus could be adopted by
some U.S. law enforcement agencies.

Interest in project WULF (Would U Like Fries) was high at the
national U.S. conference of Mothers Against Drunk Driving in Dallas,
Texas earlier this month (Sept. 4-7), when two Surrey Mounties gave a
workshop for an audience of police officers, state attorneys and judges.

Staff Sgt. Dave Peat and Const. Brian Nanton were invited to give a
presentation by the conference organizers after the Americans heard
how police in a Canadian city have begun donning civilian duds and
stationing themselves at drive-thru windows to catch impaired drivers.

What was supposed to be a 45-minute question-and-answer about WULF
went over its time limit, Staff Sgt. Dave Peat said.

"There were a lot of questions afterwards."

He said officers from Texas, Florida and North Carolina have
expressed interest in adopting the Surrey approach to their jurisdictions.

The U.S. law enforcement agencies told the Surrey Mounties they need
to conduct a review to see if the Canadian approach can be adapted to
the American legal system.

"The laws are different (down there)," Peat noted.

Members of the Surrey RCMP traffic section got the idea for project
WULF last year after hearing how often fast food restaurant employees
see impaired drivers pull up to a drive-thru window.

The plainclothes officers don't take food orders - they simply stand
back and observe a driver's behaviour, listening for slurred speech
and checking for the smell of alcohol.

They also look for signs of marijuana, cocaine and crystal meth use.

When the Mountie stationed at the window suspects a driver is
impaired, he radios a second officer who stops the vehicle as it
leaves the drive-thru.