SHERIFF'S OFFICE - 2008 LABOR DAY HOLIDAY DWI CRACKDOWN CONTINUES THROUGH WEEKEND
LABOR DAY HOLIDAY
2008
DWI CRACKDOWN
The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office with the Texas Department of Transportation Education & Enforcement (TXDOT) will be utilizing a GRANT for additional patrols for traffic enforcement. The purpose of this program is aimed at getting speeding & impaired drivers off the roadways. Extra Deputies will be out on the streets during the Labor Day Holiday period. The push is to deter drunk driving. The enforcement program began Friday, August 15th, 2008 and continues through this holiday weekend until Monday, September 1st, 2008.
Statistics from the Texas Department of Transportation indicate Texas leads the nation when it comes to the number of traffic fatalities where the driver or motorcycle operator was legally drunk. Last year 1,677 people died in alcohol-related crashes in Texas.
Penalties for a first-time DWI offense include :
- Up to $2,000 fine
- 72 hours to 6 months in Jail
- Driver’s license suspension for up to one year
- $1,000 annual fee for 3 consecutive years to retain drivers license
“Zero tolerance means exactly that. We expect the motoring public to be extra mindful of all traffic laws. Our concern is in a split second a driver is facing a life-altering decision with grave consequences. Our advice is simple: designate a sober driver in advance or call a cab to get home safely." said- Sheriff Jimmy Apodaca, El Paso County Sheriff’s Office.
We will also be focusing on other law enforcement issues:
- Possession of Alcohol by a Minor
- Purchase of Alcohol by a Minor
- Attempt to Purchase Alcohol by a Minor
- Consumption of Alcohol by a Minor
- Misrepresentation of Age by a Minor
- Driving Under Influence of Alcohol by a Minor
- Sale to a Minor
- Purchase of Alcohol for a Minor
- Furnishing Alcohol to a Minor
Our Sheriff Deputies will patrol and arrest / ticket drivers who ignore traffic laws. We continue to enforce the zero tolerance on seat belt/child safety seat use and drinking and driving. We will also focus on aggressive driving, and those who fail to obey the speed limit.
End of News Release
The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office in March of 2001 was the first Sheriff’s Office in the State of Texas to be Internationally Accredited from CALEA and is now the recipient of the First CALEA Tri-Arc award in Texas (4th in the Nation) to have accreditations in: Law Enforcement, Communications, Training Academy.