The police department in Montgomery County, Maryland, is dissolving a unit dedicated to drunk and impaired driving enforcement, saying it’s taking this step due to a decrease in staffing levels of sworn police officers, along with operational needs.

The department said in a statement that the officers assigned to the Alcohol Initiatives Unit will fill vacant positions, including in its centralized traffic, crisis response and support and school resources units.

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Assistant Chief David McBain said the department acknowledges the impact that impaired driving has on the Montgomery County community and “the importance of impaired driving and alcohol enforcement.”

“(We are) committed to continued enforcement, both through the continuation of the Holiday Alcohol Task Force and the Summer Alcohol Task Force, as well as the through the implementation of frequent alcohol enforcement saturation and checkpoint details to be staffed by MCPD and our regional partners,” McBain said.

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