Austin Police Make More Than 80 DWI Arrests During ACL Festival

AUSTIN, TX — The Austin Police Department conducted a no-refusal initiative during the two-weekend Austin City Limits music festival, netting more than 80 arrests for driving while intoxicated.

Each year ahead of the massive music festival, concertgoers are urged to find alternative forms of transportation — ride sharing, designated-driver-aided carpool, public transportation, cabs and others — to avoid being busted for DWI.

It's clear many didn't get the memo. Austin police bolster their patrols during the festival that runs on two consecutive weekends that wrapped up this week in what's called a "no refusal" initiative. Such an undertaking takes its name to underscore officers' ability to draw blood via bench warrants from those unwilling to be voluntarily tested for intoxication.

The police initiative ran from Thursday, Oct. 3, through Sunday, Oct. 6, and again from Thursday, Oct. 10, through Sunday, Oct. 13. Hours of operation were from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. each day of the crackdown.

The upshot: During the operational time periods, officers made 83 DWI-related arrests. Of those, 34 were effected after blood search warrants; 32 through consent breath samples; and 17 via consent blood samples. Of those arrests, the following number had enhanced DWI charges:

• Consent Breath Samples over .15: 16.
• Class A misdemeanor DWI (with prior conviction): 10.
• Felony DWI (2 or more prior convictions): 13.
• Felony DWI Child Passenger: 2.

"This initiative is an effort to enforce DWI laws, keep the public safe by encouraging drivers to make responsible decisions, and to apply for blood search warrants on suspects who refuse to provide a breath or blood specimen as required by law," police said in a press advisory. "The Austin Police Department and the City of Austin Transportation Department are continuously focused on preventing lives from being lost on the streets, highways and waterways of Austin."

Police added: "The department is dedicated to making roadways and waterways of Austin safe for residents and visitors through education and enforcement. There is no excuse to drink and drive! Plan a safe ride home."