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Stops in Florida don’t result in high numbers of DUI arrests

With the rise in policing of DUIs and drunk driving, it’s important to know your rights. For instance, did you know that police have to follow specific rules and regulations in order to submit your blood alcohol test results to the courts? You may want to think about your options if you’ve been charged, and take note of the increase in patrols around Flagler County, Florida.

The news report from Feb. 17 states that a saturation patrol was recently used to help reduce the amount of alcohol-related accidents in Flagler County. The patrol was increased over the weekend of Feb. 15 and Feb. 16, and this resulted in a total of 83 drivers being pulled over. Out of those, only 22 were issued citations, and nine people were allegedly arrested by the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office.

What’s amazing about this report is how few people actually were arrested due to driving under the influence, even though police pulled them over suspecting that it was the case. There were only six DUI arrests and three arrests for narcotics possessions or open warrants over the entire weekend, even though 83 drivers were stopped.

According to the news, five extra deputies were on the roads between 8 p.m. and 4 a.m. on Feb. 15 and 16, which accounts for the additional stops. However, not surprisingly, most of the stops were for reasons like speeding, driving with suspended licenses and nonmoving violations. Deputies reportedly issued 51 written warnings to the remainder of people they had stopped over the weekend.

The sheriff reported that he felt it was a successful operation, even though DUI arrests were low. This was the first operation that has been done by the Sheriff’s Office since it was given a three-year DUI enforcement grant worth $70,000. The grant is renewable and was given by the Florida Department of Transportation.

Source: Palm Coast Observer, “Nine arrests, 22 tickets issued during DUI patrol” Tory Dunnan and John Couwels, Feb. 17, 2014

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