ALACHUA COUNTY - With the Labor Day holiday and the Gator's big season opener squeezed into one weekend, there was definitely cause for North Central residents to spend the past three days celebrating.

But police know that sometimes those celebrations don't end when people leave the party.

So in order to keep the roadways safe, GPD officers say they are cracking down hard, beginning with Labor Day weekend and following through to the rest of football season.

"As we progress in the SEC games and the higher-hyped games, you see more people drinking," Sgt. Joe Raulerson said. "We have to counter that with more officers on the road to get more drunk drivers off the road."

Raulerson encourages drivers to find a safe way home and be aware of police presence during the national "Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over" campaign.

Accidents caused by drivers driving under the influence kills about 11,000 people each year, according to the campaign. 

Officrs told TV 20 that drivers should