Austin Police Arrest Nearly 70 Drunk Drivers During Fourth Of July Period

AUSTIN, TX — Austin police netted nearly 70 drunk drivers during the recent Fourth of July crackdown on city streets, officials said on Thursday.

Local law enforcement implemented a "no refusal initiative" from June 30 to July 5 in scouring the streets for impaired drivers. The "no refusal" part of the equation refers to the ability police have on special operations like this to obtain immediate warrants to forcefully draw blood from drivers unwilling to volunteer a sample or submit to a breathalyzer.

During the June 30-July 5 "no refusal" period from 9 .m. to 5 a.m. police arrested 69 people for DWI, officials said. Of those, 33 were blood search warrants and another 27 consented to breath samples, police said. Nine of the arrests were classified as Class A misdemeanors because of a prior conviction.

Of those arrests, 14 drivers registered a breath sample of more than .15 in a state where 0.08 percent is the legal limit for intoxication. That .15 is a particular threshold legally, as those exceeding it face more severe penalties for blood alcohol content (BAC). In Texas, drivers under 21 cannot test positive for any BAC, and could be charged with a DUI even when the amount is less than 0.08 percent.

Among the Fourth of July period of enforcement, six of the arrests were classified as felony DWIs, police said. The enhanced charge occurs when motorists have two or more prior convictions. One other arrest was logged as a Felony DWI due to presence of a child passenger. police noted.

At the last DWI "no refusal" weekend, police hit a veritable mother mode of impaired motorists. It helped that the Republic of Texas Rally—a massive gathering of bikers in the city's central business district—coincided with that "no refusal" period. The upshot: Police arrested 166 people for drunk driving during the previous crackdown.

That Memorial Day/ROT Rally version of the bolstered enforcement took place from May 26 to June 12, between the hours of 9 p.m. and 5 a.m. The 166 arrested represented a marked increase from the 107 arrested during the same period last year, police told Patch in response to queries.

Related stories: Austin Police Make 160-Plus DWI Arrests During Memorial Day/ROT Rally Periods

Austin police once bolstered their patrols for "no refusal" periods centered around holidays, but now they implement the practice virtually year-round. Earlier, officials said "no refusal" weekends would take place each weekend through September. Typically, police do provide advance notice of their bolstered presence via press releases offered for public dissemination.

Patch typically reworks those press releases to offer advance stories on upcoming "no refusal" weekends. To wit:

Reminder: 'No Refusal' Weekends As DWI Crackdown Continue In Austin, Including Easter

Austin Police Implement 'No Refusal' Weekend During Super Bowl To Curb Drunk Driving

Austin Police Launch 'No Refusal' DWI Initiative Through SXSW, Spring Break

Austin Police Launch 'No Refusal' Weekend Halloween Weekend

In light of increased patrolling focused on impaired motorists, Austin police have made it a point to address critiques that their bolstered efforts amount to a strengthened revenue stream rather than a genuine desire to tackle the scourge of drunk driving. Police insist the aim is the latter, and not the former.

"The Department is dedicated to making the roadways and waterways of Austin safe for residents and visitors through education and enforcement," police said in a statement.

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