The New York City Police Department has had quite a challenging few days. Officers have their hands full managing the many issues following the flooding from Hurricane Sandy, which hit almost two weeks ago. On top of that mess, they’ve got a sticky situation with the public, all because two officers were caught driving drunk. It’s like being stuck between a rock and a hard place, where one problem just leads to another. Readers will discover the twists and turns faced by the department during this stormy weather, uncovering fascinating details about crisis management. Dive in to see how this tricky tale unfolds and why it matters!

According to published reports, Officer Ismile Althaibani, 29, was arrested around 3 a.m. this morning in the Astoria section of Queens Monday while off duty. He has preliminarily been charged with driving while intoxicated and refusing to take a breathalyzer test. Last Saturday New York City Police Officer Felix Recio was also arrested for driving drunk in Queens.

You might remember Recio as the officer whose foot was allegedly run over last August by Julien Chabbott, the owner of the social media site Line Snob. That case is still pending.

In the meantime both Recio and Althaibani now must find their way through the legal system they had been tasked to uphold. If these charges are proven true these men could lose their jobs as police officers; possibly lose their driving privileges and also face jail time. This would be in addition to any fines and court fees they will be assessed by the judge as a result of their DUI arrest.

All of this further complicates the job of other New York police officers who work hard every day to enforce the laws of the state, including those laws meant to keep people from getting behind the wheel of an automobile if they are under the influence of alcohol.

Drunk driving remains a leading cause of traffic fatalities across the U.S. and state laws are strictly enforced against those who still feel the need to drink and drive. Regardless of what you may do for a living, if you decide to drive drunk the police will show you no mercy, and you’ll wind up paying the cost.