Phoenix-area law enforcement launching DUI task force for Memorial Day
May 26, 2016, 2:57 PM | Updated: 2:58 pm
PHOENIX — As you make your way through Memorial Day weekend, you’ll likely be tempted to tip back a few cold brews or know a few people who will.
While most people will know when to call it quits — or call a cab — some will make the bad decision to get behind the wheel. That’s where the Scottsdale Police Department, along with other law enforcement agencies statewide, will step in.
“To help fight the drunk drivers on the road, we’re going to have officers out there specifically looking to remove them from the roadways to make roadways safe for the rest of us,” Sgt. Ben Hoster with the Scottsdale Police Department said.
Hoster said dedicated officers will be looking for drivers who have clearly had too much to drink between Friday and Monday.
“Speeding, improper turns, weaving within lanes and other DUI indicators is what they’ll be looking for and they’ll be making stops,” he said.
DUI arrests over Memorial Day weekend have decreased in the past years.
In 2015, 424 people were arrested with the crime. The year before, 509 were arrested.
Officers also arrested fewer people for extreme DUIs and fewer underage drivers who had been drinking. In 2014, there were 146 DUI extreme arrests, down to 139 arrests over Memorial Day weekend in 2015.
“I think people are getting the message,” Alberto Gutier of the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety said last year. “It’s so easy to call a taxi or friend to take you home.”
KTAR’s Lauren Grifo contributed to this report.