The Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office (YCSO) led a coordinated DUI enforcement operation on New Year’s Eve, collaborating with the Arizona Department of Public Safety Highway Patrol, Prescott Police Department, Prescott Valley Police Department, and Chino Valley Police Department. The initiative was funded by the Arizona Governor’s Office of Highway Safety.
During the night, officers made 142 contacts as part of the Tri-City Task Force effort. Law enforcement focused on identifying impaired drivers and other hazardous driving behaviors.
Nine individuals were arrested for driving under the influence (DUI), including two for aggravated DUI and two for extreme DUI with a blood alcohol content (BAC) of .15 or higher. One arrest involved a driver under 21 years old, while three arrests were related to drug impairment. The average BAC among those arrested for alcohol impairment was .141, which is significantly above the legal limit of .08.
Officers also addressed speeding violations and other traffic offenses during the detail. Five criminal speed arrests were made alongside 43 civil speed citations and 97 additional traffic-related citations. Fourteen people were arrested for various other criminal offenses.
YCSO noted that they contacted 15 designated drivers during the enforcement period. The agency continues to encourage community members to arrange sober transportation options such as taxis, rideshare services, or sober friends or relatives to avoid impaired driving.
“We would also like to thank our law enforcement partners for their commitment to this collaborative safety initiative,” said a statement from YCSO.
The cumulative statistics from the operation include: 142 total contacts; nine DUI arrests (including two aggravated cases, two extreme cases, one underage case, and three drug-related cases); an average BAC of 0.141; five criminal speeding arrests; 43 civil speeding citations; 97 additional citations; 14 other arrests; and identification of 15 designated drivers.
