St. Bernard Sheriff’s Office free ride home available through Jan. 2; Call 271-2501

Sheriff James Pohlmann wishes everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year and reminds them to call the Sheriff’s Office for a free ride home through Jan. 2 if they have been drinking alcohol beverages.

Ten people have called the Sheriff’s Office at 271-2501 and taken advantage of the free ride home program since it began on Thanksgiving Day.

It is in place to try to curtail drinking and driving.

This is the 32nd consecutive year the St. Bernard Sheriff’s Office has offered the holiday ride home, the oldest such program in the New Orleans area .

“I urge anyone who has been drinking to call us and let us bring them home rather than trying to drive yourself,” Sheriff Pohlmann said.

“We don’t want you to injure yourself or anyone you may hit while driving drunk,” the sheriff said.

“And we don’t want to have to arrest you for DWI but we have patrols looking for impaired drivers and you will be taken to jail if you are stopped and are over the legal limit,” Sheriff Pohlmann said.

“So don’t consider driving drunk. Just call us and arrive home safely.”

St. Bernard residents will be taken home and those who are in the parish but live outside it will be brought to a Sheriff’s Office station to arrange a ride to their parish.