DWI Officers Arrest Thirty-two Drunk Drivers
By Officer Tasia Martinez
Thirty-two DWI suspects were arrested over the Labor Day weekend by the APD DWI Unit. Six of those arrested were repeat offenders and had their vehicles seized.
Last week Police Chief Ray Schultz announced that the APD DWI Unit would be saturating the streets of Albuquerque with extra officers over the holiday weekend to stop and arrest drunk drivers.
Each of the three nights, 12-20 extra officers were on DWI patrol, resulting in 22 arrests. A DWI checkpoint was conducted on Saturday night and Sunday morning, resulting in 10 arrests. The DWI and saturation units totaled 32 arrests and six vehicle seizures over the weekend. This is closely compared last year’s Labor Day DWI arrest numbers which amounted to 37 total arrests with 8 vehicle seizures.
These 32 arrests only account for those made by the DWI enforcement officers. That does not include the arrests made by the Field Services Officers citywide.
The DWI Unit reports that the number of DWI arrests has been high this summer, but that they have seen a significant decrease in the number of alcohol-related crashes.
The message from the Albuquerque Police Department remains clear, never drink and drive and always use a designated driver. APD will continue to stop and arrest drunk drivers so please drink responsibly and plan ahead to get home safely.
