Dec 28, 2007 2:30 pm US/Central
New Program Helps FWPD Fight Holiday Drunk Drivers
FORT WORTH (CBS 11 News) ―
North Texans who are thinking about drinking and driving over the New Year's holiday are being warned. Fort Worth police are activating a new program that will force suspected DWI drivers to provide blood samples, if they are caught.
Fort Worth police call it the 'No Refusal' program. It means that if an officer finds someone on the roadway who they suspect is driving while intoxicated they have the authority to get verifying proof.
"We're going to get our evidence one way or another," says Fort Worth Police Chief Ralph Mendoza.
If the driver refuses to take a breathalyzer test the officer can force the suspect to provide a blood sample.
"We're going to ask for a warrant from a magistrate and we're going to come back and take a blood test," Mendoza said.
It's the kind of program that helped Parker County prosecutors convict Terry Patterson of DWI last month.
The same type of program has been used in Dalworthington Gardens for the last couple of years. "We've done that [taken a blood test] in over 150 cases and we've only had three out of those who have been below the legal limit," said Chief Bill Waybourn, Dalworthington Gardens Police Department.
Chief Mendoza says the possible innocent victims are the motivation behind the program. "If they want to kill themselves this is not the way to do it, because they harm too many other people in the process."
Innocent people like Fort Worth officer Dwayne Freeto who was killed by an impaired driver last December. Freeto had stopped to help a stranded motorist on Interstate-35.
"The only thing I could think of to prevent someone else losing their life or another officer losing their life is make a more concerted effort," says Mendoza. "Send a message to the officers, 'Let's get after all these DWI drivers'."
Currently the 'No Refusal' Right is a temporary program that will only be in effect from 5 p.m. to 8 a.m. between December 31st and January 2nd.
Chief Mendoza says the period will be a test run for a possibly implementing a year-round program later in 2008.
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