Arizona police to increase DUI enforcement for holidays
Dec 4, 2013, 5:00 AM | Updated: 5:00 am
PHOENIX — Drive Hammered, Get Nailed.
That’s the message police have for people who are drinking and driving this holiday season, as cops will be out in full force looking for drunk drivers.
The Governor’s Office of Highway Safety says over 80 Arizona law enforcement agencies will take part in over 180 DUI saturation patrols this season.
Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery said there will be a lot of consequences if you get caught.
“You will spend time in jail. You will spend hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars in fines and fees,” Montgomery said. “In addition to other circumstances, if you drive impaired with children in your car, you will become a felon.”
Marana Police Chief Terry Rozema is commending the cops who will be trying to get drunk drivers off the streets.
“When you have to arrest a guy who is 220 pounds and has a .20 (blood alcohol level), and one minute he’s crying and saying he’s sorry…and the next minute he wants to rip your head off and kill your family…and the next minute he’s fighting you with everything he’s got to keep you from putting him in handcuffs…and the next minute he’s throwing up in your patrol car, that’s not a pleasant experience,” he said.
The police agencies hope that their “don’t drink and drive” campaign will get Arizonans to think twice about drinking and driving, leading to fewer arrests this year.