Jailed for overserving
Police put undercover officers in bars, try to catch bartenders who assist drunkdriving
Chelsea Willburn is the latest victim of the "Bars and Cars" crackdown.Photo courtesy of KHOU Houston/Channel 11
Undercover officers at the Baker Street Pub in the Woodlands have been lookingout for over-serving.Google Maps
Woodlands bartenders, watch out.
In an effort to combat Montgomery County's shocking spike in drunk driving fatalities — eight in one two-week period alone — area police are making an effort to stop the problem at its source, placing undercover agents at popular bars to monitor over-serving.
At the end of a busy evening at the Baker Street Pub on Waterway Avenue, 24-year-old bartender Chelsea Willburn was under the watchful eye of two plain-clothed Conroe officers when a man walked up to the bar. Let's just say the gentleman had a few too many.
"This person was obviously intoxicated, shouting racial epithets. He had slurred speech, very droopy eyes, fumbling around."
"This person was obviously intoxicated, shouting racial epithets," Warren Diepraam of the Montgomery County District Attorney's Office told KHOU. "He had slurred speech, very droopy eyes, fumbling around."
The man in question requested three shots for himself and his friends. But instead of politely cutting him off — or waiting until another patron knocked him out for the racist comments — the bartender suggested an alternative . . . three mixed drinks.
Willburn was arrested on the spot, charged with an alcohol violation and placed in jail. Hours later, she was released on a $750 bond. Those who know the bartender were taken aback by the arrest.
Dubbed the "Bars and Cars" initiative by Montgomery County authorities, the undercover scheme is expected to continue through the end of the year. More than 20 officers will monitor drunk drivers on the road, while a new law enforcement tool called a "no refusal van" will arrive at the scene to do immediate blood tests and process search warrants.
"We focus on the areas where we see over-serving, where we see a lot of DWIs and where we see a lot of fatalities," Diepraam explained.
Watch the full KHOU report:
