Huntsville Police Serious About DUI Enforcement

 

Huntsville, Alabama (September 1, 2006) The Huntsville Police Department has released its locations for DUI enforcement over the Labor Day weekend, along with some sobering statistics for individuals who choose to drink and drive.  DUI arrests are up 42%, while Citations have increased by 101% compared with the first 7 months of last year. Sgt. Juan Joyner, supervisor of the DUI Task Force credits the increase to the Department’s focus of having the Unit concentrate on DUI enforcement. These statistics do not include arrests and citations made by other officers outside the DUI Task Force.

January 2005 – July 2005                        DUI Arrests: 480       Citations: 1,637

January 2006 – July 2006                        DUI Arrests: 683       Citations: 3,301

The statistics for 2006 also reveal that 30 of those arrests involved Felonies (a driver arrested multiple times for DUI), eighty-one involved individuals under the age of 21, and twenty-nine were drug related.  Under the State of Alabama an adult over the age of 21 who registers a Blood Alcohol Test of point-zero-eight (.08) is legally intoxicated. A juvenile under the age of 21 is legally intoxicated at point-zero-two (.02).

Meanwhile Uniformed Officers from the Traffic Services Unit, along with the North, South and West Precincts will join the DUI Task Force during the Labor Day weekend manning checkpoints. The increased enforcement will begin Friday, September 1^st and conclude Monday, September 4^th. The checkpoints will run from 11:30 p.m. until 3:30 a.m. Some of the checkpoints will be announced in advanced, while others will be set up at random.

 

Checkpoint Locations

South Memorial Parkway and Martin Road

Jordan Lane and 9^th Avenue

Church Street and Pratt Avenue

Pulaski Pike and Holmes Avenue

North Memorial Parkway and Cox Avenue

University Drive and Sparkman Drive

Huntsville Police will also monitor motorists to ensure they are observing the posted speed limits along with traffic signals and signs. Motorists should make certain they have a valid drivers license, proof of insurance, an updated vehicle registration, and most importantly, all passengers should be wearing seatbelts. A portion of the Labor Day DUI checkpoints are being funded by the North Alabama Highway Safety Office for the “You Drink, You Drive, You Lose” campaign.