Mesa Police Begin the 25th East Valley Holiday DUI Task
Force
December 3, 2010
On Friday, December 3, 2010, the Mesa Police Department will
begin working the 2010 East Valley Holiday DUI Task Force. The
goal of the East Valley Holiday DUI Task Force is to educate the
public about the dangers of driving while impaired by alcohol
and/or drugs. Our goal is to prevent deaths and injuries caused
by impaired driving through continued zero tolerance enforcement
during the holiday season. The goal is reached by combining
resources from multiple jurisdictions and focusing enforcement
activities in specific jurisdictional areas.
Arizona law states that you cannot drive under the influence of
alcohol or drugs when your ability to drive is impaired to the
slightest degree. The statutory per se law
states that an individual is presumed to be impaired if their
BAC (Blood Alcohol Content) is .08 or above.
The extreme DUI law prohibits you from operating a vehicle if
your BAC is .15 or above.
A person under the age of 21 is prohibited from operating
a motor vehicle with any alcohol in the body.
Police officers from various agencies will join forces and
conduct saturation patrols from a different East Valley location
each night. Officers will conduct traffic stops for violations
they observe. Drivers found to be impaired by alcohol or drugs
will be arrested and transported to the command post for
processing. Additionally, officers will be enforcing a "ZERO
TOLERANCE" policy towards underage drinkers. In addition to
uniformed Task Force patrol, plain clothes detectives from the
Mesa Police Department and the Arizona State Liquor Board will
be working together conducting alcohol enforcement as well.
Their efforts will include checks of bars and retail outlets
with an emphasis on youth alcohol enforcement and the sale of
liquor to minors or underage drinkers.
Taking a cab home will save the cost of being arrested for DUI
and prevent you from being involved in a collision that could
cost you, or someone else, their life. You can also designate a
sober driver.
The message is clear. If you drive impaired, we
will find and arrest you.