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No Refusal Operations during July 4th Weekend in Montgomery County

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Starting Friday, June 30, 2017, and continuing through July 4, 2017, the Montgomery County District Attorney’s office, in conjunction with both state and local law enforcement agencies, will increase No Refusal Operations and Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) and Boating While Intoxicated (BWI) Enforcement on the roadways of Montgomery County and on Lake Conroe. The goal of this initiative is to prevent boating and traffic related crashes and deaths caused by impaired drivers during the July 4th Weekend.

During this time period, the District Attorney’s office, through their No Refusal TxDOT Grant, will provide nurses, prosecutors, and investigators at various locations throughout the county and on Lake Conroe to assist law enforcement in obtaining blood evidence in cases were a DWI/BWI suspect refuses to provide a scientific sample. The process is simple, but effective: 1) an officer makes a DWI/BWI arrest and asks the suspect for a breath or blood sample; 2) if the suspect refuses, the officer then meets with a prosecutor who will draft a search warrant for the suspect’s blood; 3) the warrant is sent to an on-call judge who will review the warrant for probable cause; 4) if probable cause is found, a nurse will then take a sample of the DWI/BWI suspect’s blood.

These No Refusal Operations ensure that scientific evidence is obtained in all DWI and BWI cases and provides the prosecution with strong evidence of guilt or innocence. As part of these operations, many Montgomery County law enforcement agencies have committed to increasing the number of officers on the streets and on Lake Conroe to catch as many impaired drivers as possible during this summer period.

On Friday, June 30, Montgomery County Law Enforcement agencies gathered to share DWI data and identify DWI ‘hotspots’ and problem areas in the County. The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office shared very important information with many local agencies to help target the most dangerous roadways in the County. Equipping DWI enforcement officers with this type of data is vital to ensuring resources are used in the most dangerous areas of the County.

 

Tyler Dunman (Special Crimes Bureau Chief) stated, “I am happy to report that state and local law enforcement agencies are continuing to meet to discuss the best approaches to DWI enforcement in Montgomery County. Prior to the July 4th weekend, the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office provided these agencies with a wide range of data that will help all agencies in the County identify and target the most dangerous roadways and areas with increased DWI activity. This type of information sharing will allow law enforcement to better assign resources and personnel.”

 

“Uber is proud to work with Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office and Montgomery County law enforcement to help encourage everyone to play it safe this summer,” said David Brightman, general manager for Uber Houston. “Drunk driving is completely preventable, and we are committed to providing access to a reliable alternative to getting behind the wheel.”

Uber Promo Code: use MOCOSAFE, for trips up to $15.00 for first time riders.

Source: Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office

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