Cop Shop

In over 1,000 traffic stops so far this St. Patrick’s Day weekend, the holiday DUI task force removed 152 suspected drunk drivers from Valley roads, according to a release from the Governor’s Highway Safety office.

Of the 152 people charged with DUI, 86 were arrested on Saturday alone. The St. Patrick’s Holiday DUI Task Force will end on Monday, March 17th.

Michael Hegarty, Deputy Director of the Office of Highway Safety, said that he wants to remind people to stay safe and stay off the roads if they choose to drink.  Last St. Patrick’s Day weekend, the holiday fell on a Saturday and officers arrested 340 over the weekend, Hegarty said.  He is concerned that the numbers for this weekend might surpass last year’s due to weekend as well as Monday night celebrations.

“Be careful and plan ahead because officers will be out there too,” Hegarty said.

With time winding down on the Holiday DUI Task Force’s operations, the statewide crackdown on drunken driving continued with another 182 arrests on Saturday.

Since the Thanksgiving weekend, the task force has posted more than 2,500 arrests. Monday - New Year’s Eve - is the last night.

On Saturday officers made 14 arrests for aggravated DUI, the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety said.

A drunken-driving offense is considered aggravated when the motorist has two previous DUI offenses in the last seven years, if the motorist has a suspended, canceled or revoked license or when there is a passenger younger than 15 in the vehicle.

More than one-quarter of Saturday’s arrests were classified extreme, with blood-alcohol content levels exceeding 0.15. Of all arrestees, the average BAC was 0.142.

Of the task force’s 2,522 total DUI arrests, 780 have been for extreme DUI.

A statewide crackdown on drunken driving netted 178 arrests on Saturday, bringing the Holiday DUI Task Force’s total to more than 2,000 since the Thanksgiving weekend.

According to the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety, officers made 18 arrests for aggravated DUI Saturday.

A drunken-driving offense is considered aggravated when the motorist has two previous DUI offenses in the last seven years, if the motorist has a suspended, canceled or revoked license or when there is a passenger younger than 15 in the vehicle.

More that one-quarter of Saturday’s arrests were classified extreme, with blood-alcohol content levels exceeding 0.15. Of all arrestees, the average BAC was 0.136.

Of the task force’s 2,043 total DUI arrests, 648 have been for extreme DUI.

The task force will operate until Dec. 31.

A statewide crackdown on drunken driving netted 161 arrests on Saturday, bringing the Holiday DUI Task Force’s total to 1,254 since the Thanksgiving weekend.

According to the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety, officers had 13 arrests for aggravated DUI. A drunken-driving offense is considered aggravated when the motorist has two previous DUI offenses in the last seven years, if the motorist has a license that is suspended, cancelled or revoked, or when there is a passenger younger than 15 years old in the vehicle.

Nearly one-third of Saturday’s DUI arrests were classified as extreme, with the suspects having an average blood-alcohol content level of 0.163.

Of the task force’s total arrests, 394 have been for extreme DUI.

The officers also issued more than 500 citations for speeding and violations of seat belt and child restrain laws.

The task force will operate until Dec. 31.

A statewide crackdown on drunk driving produced 104 arrests on Wednesday, bringing the Holiday DUI Task Force’s total to 829 since the Thanksgiving weekend.

According to the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety, officers had three arrests for aggravated DUI and 101 arrests for misdemeanor DUI.

A drunk-driving offense is considered aggravated when the motorist has two previous DUI offenses in the last seven years, if the motorist has a license that is suspended, canceled or revoked, or when there is a passenger younger than 15 years old in the vehicle.

More than one-quarter of Wednesday’s DUI arrests were classified as extreme, with those suspects having an average blood-alcohol content level of 0.15.

Since Nov. 23, 266 arrests have been for extreme DUI.

The task force will operate until December 31st.

Scam artists are mailing postcards to Arizona residents indicating their car warranties are about to expire, said Attorney General Terry Goddard.

Senior citizens have been the primary targets. The cards encourage recipients to purchase extended warranties. The cards appear legitimate and have names similar to official organizations or government agencies. The notices are stamped with phrases such as “final notice” or “priority level: high” to create a false sense of urgency. When the consumer calls the phone number provided on the card, they are usually encouraged to purchase a high-priced extended warranty for their vehicle. Callers are told they must make a down payment prior to receiving warranty information from the company.

The Attorney General’s Office learned of the postcards through the Seniors Strike Back program, which started in May. Hundreds of seniors across the state turned over their junk mail, which has been inspected for scams and fraudulent offers.

Tips for consumers

● Ask yourself: “Is this true?” Many of these offers are sent to consumers whose car warranties expired years ago.

● Always obtain warranty information in writing prior to signing up or sending any money.

● Be leery of companies that solicit by mail.

● Never give out personal identifying or financial information over the phone.

● Ask questions about the soliciting organization. A legitimate company will be happy to answer them.

● Check with the Better Business Bureau to see if complaints have been filed against the company.

If you believe you have been a victim of fraud, contact the Attorney General’s Office in Phoenix: (602) 542-5763 or (800) 352-8431, or visit www.azag.gov to file a complaint.

Nearly four tons of marijuana was confiscated last month during Arizona Department of Public Safety traffic stops.

The largest find, 1,478 pounds, was made near Willcox on Nov. 20.

In all, the DPS reported more than 7,800 pounds were seized.

A statewide crackdown on drunk driving produced 45 arrests on Saturday, bringing the Holiday DUI Task Force’s total to 290 since the Thanksgiving weekend.

According to the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety, officers had seven arrests for aggravated DUI and 38 arrests for misdemeanor DUI.

A drunk-driving offense is considered aggravated when the motorist has two previous DUI offenses in the last seven years, if the motorist has a license that is suspended, canceled or revoked, or when there is a passenger younger than 15 years old in the vehicle.

Around 35 percent of Saturday’s DUI arrests were classified as extreme, with the suspects having an average blood-alcohol content level of 0.15.

Of the task force’s 290 total arrests, 89 have been for extreme DUI.

The task force will operate until December 31st, and has already employed 434 officers from 104 participating agencies.