Three months after implementing a “no refusal” policy to coincide with Spring Break and South by Southwest, the Austin Police Department announced that the policy for drivers suspected to be under the influence has been expanded to extend through the month of July.
During this initiative, on-call judges will be in place, ready to sign search warrants for officers to obtain blood from drivers who refuse to provide a breath or blood sample and are suspected to be impaired.
The initiative began Friday, June 24 at 9 p.m. and ran from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. through June 30. The 24-hour policy, however, began Friday, July 1 and will last through Monday, July 5 at 5 a.m.
For the remainder of the month, operational hours will occur every Friday and Saturday from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m.
“The DWI initiative is an effort to enforce DWI laws … and keep the public safe,” reads a press release from APD. “[This initiative serves to] remind everyone that their area law enforcement agencies encourage them to make the responsible choice not to drive if they are impaired in any way.”