Metroplex police target drunken drivers on Super Bowl Sunday

[TexasRed]

This is becoming a "regular" initiative :evil: If any of our local folks think about it .. drop the Texas ACLU a note like I did when they started this shit.

11:54 PM CST on Saturday, February 2, 2008
For some North Texans, too much partying for today's big game could make for some not-so-super consequences on their drive home.

Several area police departments believe drunken driving incidents increase dramatically during Super Bowl weekend, and they have taken extra steps to get tipsy drivers off the roadways.

Arlington, Plano, Wylie and Richardson police will seek search warrants to draw blood from suspected drunken drivers who refuse to submit to breath or blood tests.

The no-refusal initiative, which started Friday night, will continue through midnight today in Collin County and until 4 a.m. Monday in Arlington, well after today's 5:17 p.m. kickoff.

Dallas police officials said last week that they have no plans to increase drunken driving enforcement this weekend.

Super Bowl Sundays "are among the worst days for drunk driving," said Elly Martin, a spokeswoman for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The administration has launched a Fans Don't Let Fans Drive Drunk campaign for this weekend.

During the 2006 Super Bowl, the agency found that 39 percent of all traffic fatalities involved drivers with blood alcohol contents of 0.08 or higher.

Police in Arlington and Plano couldn't provide statistical evidence showing that drunken driving or accidents increase on Super Bowl weekends.

But they say that any annual partying event – like New Year's Eve or the Fourth of July – increases the likelihood that people will get behind the wheel after they've had too much to drink.

"There's definitely an increase on Super Bowl weekend," said Officer Rick McDonald of the Plano Police Department.

"We want to prevent a problem before it happens," said Sgt. Chad Gann of the Arlington Police Department, which is partnering with the Tarrant County district attorney's office and Mothers Against Drunk Driving in this weekend's crackdown.

These no-refusal initiatives are becoming more common, and that concerns Lisa Graybill, legal director for the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas.

"We recognize the need to get drunk drivers off the streets," Ms. Graybill said. "But the warrants must be obtained and executed properly."

Ms. Graybill said that she is aware of other similar no-refusal initiatives across Texas but said that her organization has yet to receive any complaints about the practice.

In Collin County, a nurse will be stationed at the Plano Police Department to draw blood from suspects taken into custody by any of that county's three participating agencies.

Police officers will fax paperwork for the search warrants to a judge who will be on call to review the requests, said Greg Davis, Collin County first district attorney.

"I would anticipate they're probably going to have 10 to 20 blood draws at the station," Mr. Davis said.

In Arlington, suspects will be taken to a local hospital for the blood specimens after search warrants are obtained, said Lloyd Whelchel, Tarrant County assistant district attorney.

He hopes this weekend's program will have the same result as a similar initiative launched by the Fort Worth Police Department on New Year's Eve.

"We had no fatalities and no major accidents in Fort Worth," he said. "Hopefully we'll have another safe weekend."

Both prosecutors believe the no-refusal programs will become more common throughout Texas.

"We think it will eliminate many of the DWI trials we have in our misdemeanor courts," Mr. Davis said.

"The scientific evidence for the defendant is difficult to overcome in trial."

More important, he believes it will make roadways safer for all motorists once the public becomes aware that evidence will be obtained even if suspects initially refuse to cooperate with police.

In Collin County, those predictions could be tested soon.

Officials are making plans to institute the no-refusal program every weekend of the year throughout the county, perhaps by this summer.

The Collin County Sheriff's Department and all police agencies in the county have agreed to participate.

"We have the support of these agencies and judges who are willing to assist us," Mr. Davis said.

[curley725]

Another good reason to live in the sticks !!! I'm sure it's coming here too eventually ...

Curley

[TexasRed]

Its really pissing me off every time I read anything about it. I mean at my height & weight - I'm "legally" drunk after 2 glasses of wine :evil:

I would prefer the friggin opportunity to be innocent until proven guilty. With a blood draw .. there's not a reason in the world to even hire an attorney, unless of course, you can afford Billy Lane's attorney