Drunk driving crackdown in Fulshear

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Long holiday weekends create challenging days for law enforcement. That's because of the increase in drunk drivers on the road. But a small police force one the outskirts of the city has found a "12th man" of sorts with their community.

Fulshear Police Department's Sgt. Felix Vargas says social media has been a great help.

"With our officers being involved in the community, and the community being involved with the officers, we have actually that extra person looking out for us," he told Fox26.

Even though there's still a sign entering Fulshear that it is home to just over 1,100 residents, you might call that just a bit of nostalia. Vargas says in the three years he's been on the force, the community has grown from 2,000 to 8,000. With the holidays upon us, officers don't want to lose a single one of them.

That's the purpose of its recent Facebook post displaying blurred mug shots of the 65 people Fulshear has charged with DWI in the past year.

"Our motivation is not to shame anyone," Vargas says. "It's just to point out that DWIs do exist out here. They hurt, and they take people's lives."

Scan the comments from the department's Facebook followers and you will see the community's appreciation.

"They love this policy," Vargas says reading the comments. "This one's thanking us with 100% support."

If you don't live in Fulshear, you might think, "why should I care?" Well, it's because not living in Fulshear makes you part of the huge profile of drunk drivers they've arrested.

"90 to 95% of the of the people being arrested for DWI are not from Fulshear," Vargas says. "They are just passing through."

Fulshear is a small city, but it includes busy roads and intersections. At one corner you are at FMs 1093, 1463, and 359. Three years ago, the police department joined the Houston Galveston Area Council to take part in its DWI Task Force initiative.  Fulshear works with Fort Bend County and police departments in nearby towns to provide a continuous web of law enforcement, watching the roads on holidays and every day.

"We just want the community to be safe. We want that person that consumes alcohol to be safe, and for everbody to go home," Vargas says.