DUI arrests in Arizona fall during 2019 holiday season
Jan 3, 2020, 4:35 AM
PHOENIX — Fewer people were arrested this holiday season for driving under the influence of alcohol than the previous year.
This is according to the Arizona Governor’s Office of Highway Safety, which released statewide DUI enforcement statistics for the month of December on Thursday.
There were 2,161 aggravated and misdemeanor DUI arrests last month, compared to 2,739 in December 2018.
The number of extreme DUI arrests, where the blood alcohol level was 0.15 or higher, also fell, with 414 this year compared to 537 in 2018.
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DUI drug arrests were also notably down in 2019, with 719 arrests versus 947 arrests in 2018.
Meanwhile, DUI arrests for people under 21 years old were also lower in 2019, with 70 this holiday season and 90 in 2018.
However, the underage liquor law citations were up a bit, with 154 citations in 2019 compared to 102 in 2018.
While these numbers can be seen as Arizona roadways being safer this holiday season than in 2018, it is also fair to note significantly fewer officers took part in DUI patrols.
The report states that 12,976 cumulative participating officers/deputies were on patrol in December 2019, down from 17,447 in 2018.
This could be a factor in there being a decrease from 73,786 to 51,533 total traffic stops this year from a year ago.
