NCJ Number
118664
Journal
Police Chief Volume: 56 Issue: 7 Dated: (July 1989) Pages: 46-48
Date Published
1989
Length
3 pages
Annotation
This article documents the implementation of a Driving Under the Influence (DUI) enforcement unit by the Mesa Police Department in Arizona.
Abstract
The DUI Enforcement Unit helped reduce traffic fatalities by more than 50 percent in 1988. This unit, charged with locating and arresting as many alcohol- and drug-impaired drivers as possible, also freed up patrol units so they could handle calls for service. A Federal grant by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration paid for the salaries of five motorcycle officers and one motorcycle sergeant, as well as for the purchase of six fully marked motorcycles. The goals for the unit included becoming proficient in processing DUI drivers, educating and training the DUI enforcement unit in recognizing impaired drivers, and achieving a level of recognition within the community. DUI report forms were streamlined, the quality of evidence (blood samples) was improved, and a Holiday Task Force was initiated to combat DUI drivers during the Christmas-New Year's holiday season. The greatest factor in the unit's success has been the cooperation among the traffic division, police staff, and lab personnel.