25 DUII Arrests In October: Beaverton Police

BEAVERTON, OR — As part of its ongoing participation in a yearlong National Traffic Safety Campaign, funded through a grant from the Oregon Department of Transportation, the Beaverton Police Department has asked some of its patrol officers to focus specifically on impaired drivers. On Monday, the department released its numbers from last month's enforcement.

Throughout October, Beaverton officers arrested 25 individuals for driving under the influence of intoxicants (DUII), bringing the total number for the year to 265. According to Beaverton police spokesman Mike Rowe, "The focus of this campaign is taking impaired drivers off our streets and keeping Beaverton a safe city to travel and live."

Each month, Rowe said, Beaverton police make roughly 20 to 30 DUII arrests — but they're hoping that number will decrease as continued education about the dangers of drunk driving, including the criminal consequences, will deter people from taking the risk.

Beaverton police implemented on Nov. 6, 2015, a policy that prohibits drivers from refusing a breath test for alcohol content. According to the new 'No Refusal' policy, if a suspected drunk driver commits to their refusal, police have the option of submitting a search warrant request to draw the driver's blood. This would be done after the driver's arrest.

Previously, Beaverton police were noticing an uptick in drivers who refused breath tests — evidence without which could complicate court cases and make it more difficult to secure a conviction. With the policy in place, however, Rowe said the program is making a difference.

"The policy works by saving court time and getting people into diversion sooner," he said. "The feeling in the agency is that this program is working by holding people accountable for their actions. It decreases court time and gets people — for whom this is their first DUII — into diversion in the hopes of keeping them from driving impaired again."

In 2014, Beaverton officers arrested 361 people for DUII, with officers logging a 23 percent rate of refusal among those pulled over on suspicion of DUII. There were 423 people arrested for DUII in 2015, and 405 arrested in 2016.

Of the 265 individuals pulled over on suspicion of DUII so far this year, 36 have refused a breath test — resulting in warrants for blood draws, Rowe said.

"Drunk driving, impaired driving or buzzed driving all have the potential to claim lives and often will result in jail time," Rowe said. "The men and women of the Beaverton Police Department ask you to please think about this before you operate a motor vehicle after drinking alcohol or using any other substance that impairs your ability to operate a motor vehicle safely."

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