AUSTIN (Talk1370.com) -- Austin Police said Monday that their most recent "No Refusal" initiative over the Christmas holiday period resulted in 75 DWI-related arrests being made.
The effort ran from December 17 through January 1, nightly from 10 p.m. until 5 a.m. During a "no refusal" period, officers will seek a search warrant to obtain a blood sample for drivers suspected of driving while impaired, when the driver refuses to comply by providing either a breath or blood sample as required by law.
Of the 75 arrests that APD reported, 33 were based on blood search warrants. Another 33 consented to a breath sample, while 9 consented to providing a blood sample without a warrant.
31 of the arrests carried enhanced charges, including 19 with a consent breath sample with a blood-alcohol concentration level over 0.15 - nearly twice the legal limit of 0.08. 7 individuals were arrested for a Class A misdemeanor DWI, with a prior DWI conviction; 4 individuals were arrested for felony DWI, with two or more prior convictions; and one individual was given a felony charge of having a child passenger in the vehicle.
APD made 119 arrests during a similar effort during the 2020 Christmas and New Year's holiday period.