Most of the people we arrest are hard-working people. They're not criminals and we don't treat them like criminals,'' Huggins said. But it would be a mistake for anyone who has had a few too many to take that kindness for weakness. From happy hour to last call every night, at least eight officers, double that on the two ''Fat Nights'' when the entire Wolfpack works, are roving the city exclusively looking to arrest drunk drivers. Last year, the unit, which on any given shift makes up between 5 percent and 10 percent of the number of officers, accounted for more than 47 percent of JSO's 3,564 drunken-driving arrests.
Specialized training is one reason.
Plus, with three of the Wolfpack members teaching the basic DUI course at the Police Academy, every day is like an in-house seminar. We really feel we're doing an important job. Edwards thinks the squad is making a difference. In the Wolfpack's three-year existence, Jacksonville's traffic fatalities have gone up from 114 to 124 from 1994 to 1996, partly because the area population is growing. We've done our job.