Patricia Lykos, District Attorney

Harris County, Texas

July 8, 2009

Donna Hawkins

George Flynn

(713) 755-3320

‘Hot Spots’ Draw 337 Arrests in No Refusal Anti-DWI Operation

Houston, Tx – Harris County District Attorney Patricia Lykos reported that prosecutors and law enforcement teams combined for 337 total DWI-related charges in the latest No Refusal operation targeting area DWI “Hot Spots.”

Patrols and testing units teamed up for the July 3-4 weekend to make 182 arrests, coupled with the June 26-27 weekend’s total of 155 (note: this is updated from the previously announced total of 110).

For both weekends, charges include those on 74 defendants with one or more previous DWI offenses. Twelve of those arrested were charged with DWI with child passengers in the vehicle. One charge was filed for intoxication manslaughter.

Brent Mayr, chief of the District Attorney’s Vehicular Crimes Section, said the operation was especially successful in continuing to reduce the rate of suspects who refuse voluntary intoxication breath testing. No Refusal teams gained warrants against 68 of those intoxicated drivers -- about 20 percent of the total arrested – to draw blood samples for mandatory testing.

“That rate is down significantly from earlier No Refusal operations,” Mayr said. “Drivers are getting the message: With this program, you can’t beat a DWI by refusing to ‘blow.’” He said the operation has also made area roadways safer for the motoring public.

The latest “Hot Spots” program, sponsored by the Houston and Pasadena Police Departments, concentrated enforcement teams in areas of Harris County with the highest previous frequency of DWI-related vehicle crashes. They included the downtown area and other central Houston locations, as well as the Westside and sections of Clear Lake and Pasadena.

More operations are planned for peak travel periods in the future.

(End)

Last Updated: 7/8/2009