DUI Efforts May Result First-Time Offenders Being Stopped, Says Local Attorney

DUI enforcement has intensified in Washington State, which could result in first-time offenders being stopped for intoxicated driving and charged with DUI/DWI. Efforts will focus on POLD data.

Bellevue, United States - January 8, 2019 /PressCable/ —

The Washington State Patrol and other members of local law enforcement have intensified patrols for drunk drivers at the beginning of the holiday season and have increased efforts to collect Place of Last Drink (POLD) data. On December 7, Washington State Patrol troopers participated in a program known as Night of a Thousand Stars, which is an annual effort to remove impaired drivers from Washington highways. These recent efforts highlight the importance of avoiding any kind of intoxicated driving, but they also underscore that motorists could be stopped for a DUI without realizing that they are driving under the influence.

The annual Night of a Thousand Stars program, which is designed to emphasize drunk driving prevention efforts at the start of the holiday season in December, came shortly after the Puyallup Police Department received an award from the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board for its efforts in arresting impaired drivers and collecting POLD data. Law enforcement officials from across the state compile POLD data, developing a database from which Washington State Patrol troopers and other police officers can target locations that have been designated as more likely to result in drunk-driving arrests. In particular, POLD data highlight restaurants and bars where alcohol allegedly has been over-served to customers.

Consequently, this December law enforcement officials will be targeting areas where previous DUI-related accidents and arrests have occurred throughout the Seattle-Tacoma area by relying on POLD data. Many of those locations were central in the Night of a Thousand Stars program, a program whose name refers to 1,000 Washington State Patrol badges out on the roads targeting drivers who show signs of intoxication. As of early December, the Washington State Patrol had made a total of 14,897 stops across the state in 2018.

According to Seattle criminal defense attorney Lennard A. Nahajski, intensified DUI enforcement efforts may result in first-time offenders being stopped for impaired driving. As Nahajski emphasized that the patrols may result in “many individuals facing DUI charges who are first-time offenders, and who have made a single mistake for which they could face lifelong repercussions.” Those motorists deserve to have a strong defense to fight DUI/DWI charges.

Part of DUI enforcement efforts during the holiday season includes the development of DUI emphasis patrols. These patrols are made up of Washington State Patrol troopers, as well as members of the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board and other county sheriff’s offices and police departments. Given that the rate of impaired driving crashes and fatalities have declined from the previous year in Washington State, the Washington State Patrol is likely to keep up DUI enforcement efforts throughout the holiday season.

Contact Info:
Name: Lennard Nahajski
Email: Send Email
Organization: The Nahajski Firm
Address: 601 108th Ave NE Suite 1900, Bellevue, WA 98004, United States
Phone: +1-206-621-0500
Website: http://www.nahajskifirm.com/

Source: PressCable

Release ID: 466040