EPPD Going After Drunk Drivers This Holiday Weekend
EL PASO, Texas – The El Paso Police Department will be out in full force this memorial day weekend in an effort to curb drunk driving. EPPD is partnering with the District Attorney’s Office so they can draw blood from suspected drunk drivers who refuse a breathalyzer test.
That means anyone that refuses to give a specimen of their breath will be taken to the Central Regional Command where a search warrant affidavit will be completed and presented to a judge, who will review the probable cause. When the search warrant is issued, a registered nurse will draw blood from the suspect to test for blood alcohol content. The suspect will then be booked into the El Paso County Jail for Driving While Intoxicated.
This process was first used by the El Paso Police Department during the Christmas weekend, New Year’s Eve of 2007 and FAT Tuesday. The operation will take place Friday and Saturday nights.
According to EPPD, thru April 2008 there have 730 arrests made for DWI and 132 Citations issued to Minors with a detectable amount of alcohol. Of this years 20 fatalities, 11 deaths are attributed to alcohol from 9 fatal collisions.
In addition to this program, El Paso Police Department, along with other agencies countywide, are participating in Click It or Ticket which means an additional 40 officers will be on the streets during the entire holiday weekend looking at violations involving seatbelts and child safety seats and other traffic violations.
In addition, each Regional Command Center will have officers assigned to monitor traffic for hazardous violations, drunk drivers and other situations that may pose a hazard to citizens.
