While the number of DUI arrests in 2009 significantly increased in Arizona from the previous year, Graham County bucked the trend and had fewer DUI arrests over the New Year's holiday than last year.
The Eastern Arizona DUI Task Force conducted saturation patrols New Year's Eve and New Year's Day and reported a total of nine DUI arrests out of 131 stops, according to Thatcher Sgt. Scott Mulleneaux.
Last year, 15 arrests were made on 218 stops during three saturation patrols in December and early January. While the total number of arrests was higher in the 2008 deployments, the actual percentage of arrests to stops remained the same at about 7 percent for both years.
According to the Arizona Governor's Office of Highway Safety, Arizona's 16 DUI task forces made more than 14,000 DUI arrests in 2009, including nearly 4,500 from Thanksgiving to New Year's.
That is an increase from the 2008 numbers of about 10,500 arrests, with about 2,700 from Thanksgiving to New Year's.
What has increased in Graham County for 2009 is the usage of designated drivers. This year, officers noted 20 designated drivers out of the 131 stops with 16 designated drivers utilized out of 59 stops New Year's Eve.
"The increased use of designated drivers was very impressive," Mulleneaux said. "Our goal is to get zero DUIs and have all designated drivers (for those who have been drinking alcohol)."
He said it is apparent that message has reached a significant portion of Graham County's residents, and he is grateful they have taken the advice to heart.
This year, officers from the Safford, Thatcher, Pima and Clifton police departments joined officers from the Department of Public Safety to conduct the patrols. The task force is funded from a grant from the Arizona Governor's Office of Highway Safety.
Source
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Monday, February 15, 2010
Ariz. holiday period DUI arrests rise in 2009
Arizona’s 16 DUI task forces around the state made more than 14,000 driving-under-the-influence arrests in 2009 including nearly 4,500 from Thanksgiving to New Year’s.
Those figures are up from 2008 when the task forces made some 10,500 DUI arrests but only about 2,700 from the Thanksgiving-to-Jan. 1 holiday span.
Statistics released Jan. 1 by Gov. Jan Brewer’s office show that 960 DUI arrests for the holiday period were for extreme DUI with drivers having blood-alcohol levels of .15 or higher. That’s well above the 0.08 percent legal limit to operate a vehicle in Arizona.
The state tasks forces also report 194 DUI arrests for drivers under age 21 in the 2009 Thanksgiving-to-New Year’s period and 492 under-21 liquor law citations.
Source
Those figures are up from 2008 when the task forces made some 10,500 DUI arrests but only about 2,700 from the Thanksgiving-to-Jan. 1 holiday span.
Statistics released Jan. 1 by Gov. Jan Brewer’s office show that 960 DUI arrests for the holiday period were for extreme DUI with drivers having blood-alcohol levels of .15 or higher. That’s well above the 0.08 percent legal limit to operate a vehicle in Arizona.
The state tasks forces also report 194 DUI arrests for drivers under age 21 in the 2009 Thanksgiving-to-New Year’s period and 492 under-21 liquor law citations.
Source
Thursday, January 28, 2010
AZ DUI arrests increase
The number of D.U.I. arrests in Arizona were up in 2009 from 2008.
The state's 16 D.U.I. task forces made more than 14,000 D.U.I. arrests last year and about 5,000 of those arrests were just from Thanksgiving to New Year's alone.
Thats up from about 11,000 D.U.I. arrests made in 2008. Statistics released by the governor's office show 1,000 of those arrests were made for extreme D.U.I. where the drivers had blood-alcohol levels of .15 or higher.
Source
The state's 16 D.U.I. task forces made more than 14,000 D.U.I. arrests last year and about 5,000 of those arrests were just from Thanksgiving to New Year's alone.
Thats up from about 11,000 D.U.I. arrests made in 2008. Statistics released by the governor's office show 1,000 of those arrests were made for extreme D.U.I. where the drivers had blood-alcohol levels of .15 or higher.
Source
Monday, December 28, 2009
Police draw blood to stop DUI
Idaho police officers are trained to take blood directly from a suspected DUI offender at the scene of the arrest in an effort to crack down on drunk driving.
Officers in both Idaho and Texas recently received this training to draw blood to test for both alcohol and drugs in the system of an accused driver. The training is part of a federal program sponsored by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to determine if this can be used as a prosecution and prevention tool.
The NHTSA will test the results over a one to two year period, then they will perhaps encourage the training in other states or nationwide. The reason for the blood tests is the increase in breath test refusals among defendants.
Even in states with "implied consent" laws, many refuse breath tests on the field. Breath tests have also been notoriously inaccurate. Idaho saw as much as 20% refusal, and nationally about 22% of defendants refused breath tests.
Blood tests, on the other hand, are generally accurate in testing for both drugs and alcohol. Some states have issued legislation that allows for the drawing of blood by force if an accused driver is uncooperative. Idaho is one such state.
The Supreme Court ruled in 1966 that forced blood tests were constitutional given there was reasonable suspicion. The test, however, must be carried out in a medically-approved manner by a person who is trained in the practice. Officers often had to transport accused defendants to hospitals in order to accomplish this.
Arizona first implemented the training program to allow officers to draw blood in the field. Immediately, questions regarding the safety of this practice deterred many states from proceeding. Many claim officers do not receive the full training that nurses and other medical practitioners receive. The procedure is also carried out in an unsanitary environment.
Phoenix officers currently draw blood from 300 to 400 suspected individuals each month. According to sources, the Arizona refusal rate has dropped from around 20% to 8-9%. Arizona is considered to be one of the toughest states on DUI prosecution, and the ongoing practice of drawing blood on the field is just one technique Arizona uses that is being copied nationally.
Source
Officers in both Idaho and Texas recently received this training to draw blood to test for both alcohol and drugs in the system of an accused driver. The training is part of a federal program sponsored by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to determine if this can be used as a prosecution and prevention tool.
The NHTSA will test the results over a one to two year period, then they will perhaps encourage the training in other states or nationwide. The reason for the blood tests is the increase in breath test refusals among defendants.
Even in states with "implied consent" laws, many refuse breath tests on the field. Breath tests have also been notoriously inaccurate. Idaho saw as much as 20% refusal, and nationally about 22% of defendants refused breath tests.
Blood tests, on the other hand, are generally accurate in testing for both drugs and alcohol. Some states have issued legislation that allows for the drawing of blood by force if an accused driver is uncooperative. Idaho is one such state.
The Supreme Court ruled in 1966 that forced blood tests were constitutional given there was reasonable suspicion. The test, however, must be carried out in a medically-approved manner by a person who is trained in the practice. Officers often had to transport accused defendants to hospitals in order to accomplish this.
Arizona first implemented the training program to allow officers to draw blood in the field. Immediately, questions regarding the safety of this practice deterred many states from proceeding. Many claim officers do not receive the full training that nurses and other medical practitioners receive. The procedure is also carried out in an unsanitary environment.
Phoenix officers currently draw blood from 300 to 400 suspected individuals each month. According to sources, the Arizona refusal rate has dropped from around 20% to 8-9%. Arizona is considered to be one of the toughest states on DUI prosecution, and the ongoing practice of drawing blood on the field is just one technique Arizona uses that is being copied nationally.
Source
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Arizona DUI task force results in 546 arrests so far
PHOENIX – Police and DPS officers have arrested 546 people so far during the second week of the statewide Arizona Labor Day Task Force.
According to a news release provided by the Governor's Office of Highway Safety, which is sponsoring the campaign, 72 of those arrests occurred Saturday night alone.
Twenty-five of those arrested Saturday night were cited for extreme DUI, which means they had an average blood alcohol content (BAC) of .15 or above. The legal limit in Arizona is .08.
Since the task force started last weekend, 191 people have been arrested for extreme DUI.
The average BAC since the beginning of the campaign is .160, twice the legal limit.
Nearly 2,100 people have been cited for other violations such as speeding, not wearing a seatbelt and improper lane change.
According to a news release provided by the Governor's Office of Highway Safety, which is sponsoring the campaign, 72 of those arrests occurred Saturday night alone.
Twenty-five of those arrested Saturday night were cited for extreme DUI, which means they had an average blood alcohol content (BAC) of .15 or above. The legal limit in Arizona is .08.
Since the task force started last weekend, 191 people have been arrested for extreme DUI.
The average BAC since the beginning of the campaign is .160, twice the legal limit.
Nearly 2,100 people have been cited for other violations such as speeding, not wearing a seatbelt and improper lane change.
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Bill's Daily Roundup: 21 DUIs, Planning & Zoning, Sundogs
The Arizona Sundogs have acquired two more players. The Central Hockey League team has announced they have added Thomas Roussel and Marek Jancek to their roster for the upcoming season. Roussel has skated in France his entire playing career. The 6 foot, 187 pound France native set career highs last season, including 3 goals, 11 assists and 99 penalty minutes. He also appeared in 6 games with Team France during the 2009 International Ice Hockey Federation World Championships in Switzerland, tallying one assist and two penalty minutes in 6 contests. Jancek has played in Hungary and his native Slovakia. Last season the 6 foot 6, 216 pound defenseman tallied 3 goals, 1 assist and 103 penalty minutes in 26 games with Dijon of the French League.
Prescott National Forest officials have planned 2 slash pile burns. Fire managers plan to burn accumulated slash piles today through Friday, weather conditions permitting. The first location includes 100 acres of piles in Ponderosa Park, southwest of Prescott. The second location includes 3 slash piles in the town of Crown King at the gravel pit. Specific days to burn are determined by current and expected weather patterns. These piles will be monitored and allowed to completely burn themselves out. Smoke may be visible in the surrounding area.
Twenty-one DUI arrests have been made following saturation patrols and a checkpoint in the Verde Valley. According to the Cottonwood Police Department, the patrols ran from last Friday to Sunday. 57 officers participated and 818 contacts were made. Out of the DUI arrests made, 5 were extreme and 3 were aggravated. Three people were cited for underage DUI and 6 Drug Recognition Evaluations were completed. 116 other citations were issued as a result of the patrols.
Multi-agency coordination leads to the arrest of an alleged sex offender. On Labor Day, the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office responded to a reported indecent exposure incident that occurred at the Boynton Canyon trailhead outside of Sedona.
Sheriff’s Office spokesman Dwight D’Evelyn says 2 sisters provided a detailed description of the suspect, including a vehicle description, license plate and last seen direction:Sheriff’s Office Communications personnel sent out an attempt to locate notice to area law enforcement agencies. Within 20 minutes, Sedona Police officers and US Forest Service Law Enforcement personnel stopped the suspect vehicle on Dry Creek Road and Highway 89A. The driver was identified as 30 year old Phoenix resident Joshua Boyd, who admitted inappropriate contact with the two victims. He has been arrested on 2 counts each of public sexual indecency and indecent exposure and DUI drugs.
The Prescott Planning and Zoning Commission meets at 9 tomorrow morning. The Commission will hold a public hearing on a request for a Special Use Permit, which is for modifications to an existing wireless communications site. According to Community Development Director Tom Guice, Verizon Wireless has submitted an application to reconstruct and modify the existing cell phone site on East Willis Street. The meeting will be held in Council chambers.
At 5:30 tonight, the City Open Space Acquisition Advisory Committee meets to hear an update from the Priority Matrix Working Group and for discussion on establishment of a Volunteer Open Space Management Working Group. That meeting will be held at the Grace Sparkes Memorial Activity Center on East Gurley Street.
Source
Prescott National Forest officials have planned 2 slash pile burns. Fire managers plan to burn accumulated slash piles today through Friday, weather conditions permitting. The first location includes 100 acres of piles in Ponderosa Park, southwest of Prescott. The second location includes 3 slash piles in the town of Crown King at the gravel pit. Specific days to burn are determined by current and expected weather patterns. These piles will be monitored and allowed to completely burn themselves out. Smoke may be visible in the surrounding area.
Twenty-one DUI arrests have been made following saturation patrols and a checkpoint in the Verde Valley. According to the Cottonwood Police Department, the patrols ran from last Friday to Sunday. 57 officers participated and 818 contacts were made. Out of the DUI arrests made, 5 were extreme and 3 were aggravated. Three people were cited for underage DUI and 6 Drug Recognition Evaluations were completed. 116 other citations were issued as a result of the patrols.
Multi-agency coordination leads to the arrest of an alleged sex offender. On Labor Day, the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office responded to a reported indecent exposure incident that occurred at the Boynton Canyon trailhead outside of Sedona.
Sheriff’s Office spokesman Dwight D’Evelyn says 2 sisters provided a detailed description of the suspect, including a vehicle description, license plate and last seen direction:Sheriff’s Office Communications personnel sent out an attempt to locate notice to area law enforcement agencies. Within 20 minutes, Sedona Police officers and US Forest Service Law Enforcement personnel stopped the suspect vehicle on Dry Creek Road and Highway 89A. The driver was identified as 30 year old Phoenix resident Joshua Boyd, who admitted inappropriate contact with the two victims. He has been arrested on 2 counts each of public sexual indecency and indecent exposure and DUI drugs.
The Prescott Planning and Zoning Commission meets at 9 tomorrow morning. The Commission will hold a public hearing on a request for a Special Use Permit, which is for modifications to an existing wireless communications site. According to Community Development Director Tom Guice, Verizon Wireless has submitted an application to reconstruct and modify the existing cell phone site on East Willis Street. The meeting will be held in Council chambers.
At 5:30 tonight, the City Open Space Acquisition Advisory Committee meets to hear an update from the Priority Matrix Working Group and for discussion on establishment of a Volunteer Open Space Management Working Group. That meeting will be held at the Grace Sparkes Memorial Activity Center on East Gurley Street.
Source
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Cardinals game sees typical 38 arrests
There were 38 arrests at the University of Phoenix Stadium and its surrounding area Sunday during the Arizona Cardinals season opener.
Glendale police spokeswoman Karen Gerardo said the charges included illegal ticket scalping, assaults, liquor and alcohol violations, disorderly conducts and one DUI.
She said that number is typical for a Cardinals game day.
The Cards lost the season opener to San Francisco 20 to 16. They play the Jacksonville Jaguars in Florida next weekend.
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