AUSTIN (Nexstar) — It appears a new method for enforcing alcohol laws in Texas has not gained traction in the first month of its existence.

The state agency that governs the booze business, the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC), announced the initiative, called TRACE (Target Responsibility for Alcohol-Connected Emergencies), last month. TRACE is a hotline managed by Texas Game Wardens in a partnership with the state’s Department of Public Safety that law enforcement officers can call when they suspect alcohol is related in a serious or deadly crash. A TABC investigator will get involved in the case immediately.

“Over time the witnesses forget, videos disappear, trying to figure out where they got their last drink becomes very difficult,” TABC executive director Bentley Nettles said in a Dec. 4 press conference.

“The TRACE program will give local officers access to our expertise faster than ever before, allowing them to resolve cases more quickly while upholding public safety,” Nettles said in the agency’s announcement.

Previously, TABC leaders said they would find out about incidents days after they happened, or later on through news reports. Delays could cause success rates to be as low as 10 percent for authorities to be able to track down the source of the alcohol sales following crashes.

Investigators look for illegal activity such as over-serving bar patrons or serving to minors.

That was the case last month in the Houston area, the first and only instance the TRACE system was utilized. Alcohol investigators work with South Houston Police to arrest five bar employees accused of serving a 19-year-old believed to have killed a woman in a drunk driving crash.

“That’s a good success story,” TABC spokesperson Chris Porter said. “That shows the reason why we instituted the TRACE program in the first place.”

“As we continue to roll out the program statewide we are meeting with more law enforcement agency‘s, we are producing more training materials to get them up to speed on what TRACE actually is and how it can help,” Porter said.

But, Porter admitted only a handful of Texas’ thousands of law enforcement agencies across the state have signed on to participate in the first month of the program’s existence.

Porter listed Texas Parks and Wildlife Game Warden Service, Texas Department of Public Safety/Texas Highway Patrol, Harris County District Attorney’s Office, Harris County Sheriff’s Office, Houston Police, and South Houston Police, as the only agencies he could share that are involved.

“We’re also working with the Texas Police Chiefs’ Association and the Texas Association of Sheriffs to get the word out to their members statewide,” Porter said.

He said TABC was focusing on implementing the program in metropolitan areas like Houston, Dallas, and Austin, because that’s where investigators expect higher case volumes related to Driving While Intoxicated. TABC teams are gradually engaging with rural departments as well

TABC leaders recognize they are asking officers, deputies, and troopers to add an additional step into the initial investigation process by dialing the hotline. Some departments may need to alter protocol to include the phone call, but TABC is counting on the extra effort to bring justice more quickly.

“If we are able to hold businesses responsible then that reduces the instances of these incidents taking place in the future,” Porter said.