RIVERSIDE, Ill., Dec. 10 (UPI) -- A suburban Chicago police chief said his department will begin tweeting out names of people arrested on suspicion of drunk driving.
Riverside, Ill., Police Chief Tom Weitzel said he hopes the additional exposure will act as a deterrent for would-be drunk drivers to stay off the road. He said the department has seen an increase in drunk driving arrests of late, particularly among drivers 30 or younger, the Chicago Tribune reported.
"I'm hoping that seeing these names, and seeing the amount of arrests that Riverside makes, will send a message," Weitzel said.
The department created its Twitter handle, @PDRiverside, just a few weeks ago.
The department will also tweet the names of those arrested for driving drugged and those who are arrested for driving with a license suspended from a prior DUI charge.
Weitzel said his department already gives out information on arrests under Freedom of Information laws to the public and area media.
"It's nothing that we're not already giving out," he said. "It's just that we're going to be sending it out ourselves, through our social media account."
The policy goes into effect Monday.
