Austin Police Made Nearly 80 DWI Arrests During July 4 Period

AUSTIN, TX — Police made 78 DWI arrests during the July 4 "no refusal" initiative, officials said Friday.

The period of bolstered enforcement took place from June 28 to July 4, running daily from 3 p.m. to 5 a.m. In a "no refusal" period of enforcement, police are able to secure immediate bench warrants from municipal judges to draw blood from drivers refusing testing for sobriety.

Police provided an arrests breakdown:

Blood Search Warrants: 40

Consent Breath Samples: 24

Consent Blood Samples: 14

Of those arrests, the following number had enhanced DWI charges:

Consent Breath Samples over .15 = 5

Class A Misd DWI (with prior conviction) = 8

Felony DWI (2 or more prior convictions) = 8

Felony DWI Child Passenger = 1

"The Austin Police Department is continuously focused on preventing lives from being lost on the streets, highways and waterways of Austin," police said in a press advisory. "The Department is dedicated to making the roadways and waterways of Austin safe for residents and visitors through education and enforcement."

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