Police Set For DWI Crackdown For 4th Of July Holiday

by ABC-7 News Reporter Marissa Monroy

EL PASO — Law enforcement agencies in the area will join forcesto crack down on drunk drivers during the Fourth of July holiday.

If you plan on drinking and driving, you might want to count on some fines and jail time, said officials with the El Paso Police Department and the county’s sheriff’s office.

Strict enforcement will beginFriday, June 27thand will last through the Sunday after Fourth of July.

Officials said Texas leads the nation when it comes to the number of traffic fatalities involving drunk drivers. More than 1,500 people died in alcohol-related crashes in Texas, they added.

In addition to extra patrol units,police areplanning another “blood draw” operation.

Known as “No Refusal,” the program uses search warrants to obtain blood samples from suspected drunk drivers who refuse to takea breathalyzer test.

Suspected drunk drivers will be taken to central command, where a nurse with the city’s health department will draw blood. They will the be booked into the county jail.

Police Spokesman Javier Sambrano said the program is made possible through state grants.

“the grant money actually through TXDOT’seducation section,” he said, “It’s given to all law enforcement agencies so that they can go ahead and have additional officers out there on the streets during these times.”

DWI checkpoints are not allowed in the state of Texas, but are legal in New Mexico.