Local Police & Judges Will Work The Bar In The Name Of Sobriety

It's uncommon to see local police and judges tending bar.

However, the Protect and Serve Tavern -- which includes just that -- has become a holiday tradition around these parts.

The Tavern returns from noon to 4 p.m. this Saturday at Great Lakes Mall. Officers and judges will serve nonalcoholic drinks and snacks to shoppers as a way to encourage them to have a safe and sober holiday season.

Additionally, shoppers can try the “Fatal Vision” goggles, which mimic alcohol impairment.

Police will also have free recipe booklets that feature tasty non-alcoholic beverages that they created themselves; and local police chiefs will raffle off several gift cards to those who visit the bar.

The Protect and Serve Tavern is organized by The Lake County Crime Prevention Task Force, The Lake County Chiefs of Police Association and the Lake County Safe Communities Coalition.

Finally, Lake County's safety forces offer these simple tips to stay safe this holiday season:

• Plan a safe way home before festivities begin,
• Designate a sober driver before drinking,
• Call a taxi, a sober family member or friend for a ride home if you are not sober,
• Take the keys of someone who is not sober and make other arrangements for them to get home safely, and,
• Report impaired drivers on the road by calling 1-800-GRAB-DUI.