The Pinal County “kick off” DUI Task Force, working in cooperation with the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety, was conducted on March 17th, and yielded 369 traffic stops. They had 16 DUI arrests (15 misdemeanors, 1 aggravated DUI). The average Blood Alcohol Content was .141. The DUI Task Force also netted 3 DRE (drug recognition evaluations) and 9 seat belt citations. They also issued 221 other citations.
The Task Force was operational from 5 pm until 3 am, in the Johnson Ranch/Queen Creek area of Pinal County, with 8 of the 10 participating agencies sending over 25 officers and deputies. This enforcement effort ran in conjunction with the St Patrick’s Day Holiday.
Agencies participating in this event included the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office, Arizona Department of Public Safety, Casa Grande, Gila River, Coolidge, Florence, Eloy, & Maricopa Police Department’s.
The Pinal County DUI Task Force participating agencies and officers would like to extend their sincere gratitude to Subway #33330 and Fry’s Marketplace, both located at Hunt Highway and Bella Vista, for donating food and water to feed the officers and deputies during the detail.
“I was impressed with the commitment shown by the participating agencies and officers who worked last nights detail. Pinal County law enforcement agencies and officers are committed to coordinating crime fighting efforts and DUI enforcement to ensure all our communities are safer. Last night, we joined forces and showed high visibility and zero tolerance. This cooperative effort sends a strong message, we will continue to work together since crime is on the rise and budgets are tight”, Sheriff Paul Babeu said.
The next Pinal County DUI Task Force detail will be conducted in the Florence area on April 3rd and April 4th, in conjunction with the Country Thunder music event.