Pinal County Regional DUI Task Force Mobilized through the New Year
Beginning Thanksgiving weekend and continuing through the month of December, the Pinal County Regional DUI Task Force will be operating within Casa Grande, San Tan Valley, Apache Junction, Florence, Coolidge, and the City of Maricopa.
Through deterrence and enforcement, the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office and local police departments are again teaming-up this Holiday Season to deploy the resources of the Pinal County DUI Task Force to combat the danger impaired drivers pose on Pinal roadways.
Annually, law enforcement observes an increase in the number of individuals driving while impaired around the holidays, especially between Thanksgiving and the New Year.
From three nights of the task force working (Nov. 29, Dec. 6 and Dec. 7), more than 25 members of law enforcement participated in operations located in Maricopa and Casa Grande. From contacts made by officers during these three nights, there were 15 designated drivers identified, two extreme DUI arrests, 18 misdemeanor DUI arrests, six DUI drug impaired driving arrests, 21 speeding citations, and two seatbelt violations.
According to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, in 2012 and for the past decade, 31 percent of vehicle crash fatalities involved a drunk driver. That percentage increases significantly in the days before and after Thanksgiving (35 percent), Christmas (37 percent), and New Year’s Eve (41 percent).
Agencies participating in the Pinal County DUI Task Force include the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office, Arizona Department of Public Safety, Casa Grande Police Department, Gila River Police Department, Apache Junction Police Department, Coolidge Police Department, Florence Police Department, Eloy Police Department, Superior Police Department, Ak-Chin Police Department and the Maricopa Police Department.
Sheriff Babeu stated, “There is no excuse for an individual choosing to drive while impaired. Over the three night period, individuals found to be driving impaired had an average BAC of 0.171, which is more than double the legal limit. My Deputies and local law enforcement will continue to work throughout the Holidays to ensure those individuals who decide to endanger their lives and that of other drivers continue to be removed from our roadways.”
