WALTON COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) — Over the past four days, Walton County deputies have made almost 800 traffic stops. That’s almost triple what they have in a regular off-season week.
“It’s spring break, and we have a lot more people in our area,” Walton County Sheriff’s Office Lieutenant John Cheek said.
More deputies are on the roadways to combat increased traffic. That means many are clocking in extra hours.
“This time of the year with spring break, we up our staffing, we have a lot of folks that are on overtime and create much more presence,” Cheek said.
Officials said they increased staffing in March after community members asked for a larger law enforcement presence. Deputies said they can stop a car every 20 minutes.
There are many kinds of violations they look for.
“Not just speeding, but specifically focus on distracted driving, that sort of thing,” Cheek said. “And also the golf carts that are maybe operating on roadways that they’re not supposed to be operating on.”
One car stopped Wednesday was driving in the left lane, blocking traffic. Others were speeding.
Officials said golf carts cause problems for deputies as well. They said they often see people driving golf carts while under the influence. Those stops can take an hour of a deputy’s time as they wait for a tow truck to arrive.
