A DUI Enforcement Detail launched by Yuma Police over the July Fourth weekend resulted in 15 arrests for driving under the influence.
There were 61 traffic stops total, including three extreme-DUI arrests, according to Officer Clint Norred, spokesman for Yuma Police Department.
The DUI Enforcement Detail ran Friday through Sunday and involved heightened patrols, versus check points. Two full-time DUI officers were on duty at any given time, plus three additional officers scheduled specifically for the holiday weekend. The hours for those additional officers were funded through a grant Arizona Governor's Office of Highway Safety.
The average blood alcohol content (BAC) recorded during this year's detail was 1.32. Drivers arrested over the weekend weren't just under the influence of alcohol, however. Norred stressed that many DUI arrests are the result of people abusing or misusing illegal drugs or even prescription drugs.
Last year's July Fourth saw a BAC of .105 and netted 9 DUI arrests out of 73 total traffic stops, according to Norred.
The spokesman declined to compare numbers from the two years, stressing that the number of officers involved year to year can sometimes skew the numbers.
"It's a hard statistic," Norred said. "I think the education and awareness about impaired driving has increased dramatically over the past 10 years. I would say obviously the Arizona Legislature has taken an aggressive stance and has recognized that DUI is a serious offense."
Norred pointed out how fines and jail times related to DUIs have increased over recent years.
The Yuma County Sheriff's Office sent added enforcement to the Martinez Lake area over the holiday. Officials with the sheriff's office were not available to comment Monday on the number of DUI arrests seen at the lake over the weekend.
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There were 61 traffic stops total, including three extreme-DUI arrests, according to Officer Clint Norred, spokesman for Yuma Police Department.
The DUI Enforcement Detail ran Friday through Sunday and involved heightened patrols, versus check points. Two full-time DUI officers were on duty at any given time, plus three additional officers scheduled specifically for the holiday weekend. The hours for those additional officers were funded through a grant Arizona Governor's Office of Highway Safety.
The average blood alcohol content (BAC) recorded during this year's detail was 1.32. Drivers arrested over the weekend weren't just under the influence of alcohol, however. Norred stressed that many DUI arrests are the result of people abusing or misusing illegal drugs or even prescription drugs.
Last year's July Fourth saw a BAC of .105 and netted 9 DUI arrests out of 73 total traffic stops, according to Norred.
The spokesman declined to compare numbers from the two years, stressing that the number of officers involved year to year can sometimes skew the numbers.
"It's a hard statistic," Norred said. "I think the education and awareness about impaired driving has increased dramatically over the past 10 years. I would say obviously the Arizona Legislature has taken an aggressive stance and has recognized that DUI is a serious offense."
Norred pointed out how fines and jail times related to DUIs have increased over recent years.
The Yuma County Sheriff's Office sent added enforcement to the Martinez Lake area over the holiday. Officials with the sheriff's office were not available to comment Monday on the number of DUI arrests seen at the lake over the weekend.
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