Last Friday, Officer Chad Streiff received a personalized hockey stick from Bill Hammes, law enforcement liaison for the Minnesota Office of Traffic Safety, for a Hat Trick his during his shift April 20–21.

A Hat Trick occurs when an officer makes three DWI arrests in one shift. On April 20–21, Officer Streiff was working on a Towards Zero Deaths (TZD) detail in the St. Louis Park/Hopkins area with other metro area officers. Just before 10 p.m., he noticed a speeding vehicle. He pulled it over and noticed the driver smelled of alcohol. Her Preliminary Breath Test (PBT) showed a Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) of .08.  She was cited for 4^th Degree DWI and Careless Driving.

Just after 1 a.m. that same shift, Officer Streiff noticed a car on the side of the highway. When he pulled over to assist, he noticed the driver showed signs of impairment. A PBT showed a BAC of .19, more than twice the legal limit of .08. That driver was arrested for 3^rd Degree DWI and Careless Driving.

After dropping off that driver at Hennepin County Jail, Officer Streiff was driving back to Eden Prairie when he noticed a speeding car in front of him. He pulled the vehicle over and smelled alcohol on the driver’s breath. A PBT indicated the driver had a BAC of .16. Officer Streiff also learned the driver was driving with a suspended license. That driver was arrested for 3^rd Degree DWI, Careless Driving, Speed and Driving After Suspension.

Since August 2018, Officer Streiff has made 21 Hat Tricks, two Grand Slams and one Ace (five arrests in one shift). Officer Streiff serves as a full-time DWI officer thanks to a grant from the Minnesota Department of Public Safety.

Because our officers can’t be everywhere, we rely on other drivers to be an extra set of eyes for us. If you observe a possible drunk driver, please pull over or have a passenger call 911 and provide dispatch with as much information as possible including location, license plate number and the observed dangerous driving behavior.

Together we can work to keep our roadways safe.

Photo: Bill Hammes of the Minnesota Office of Traffic Safety and Officer Chad Streiff