HOUSTON—The Harris County District Attorney’s Office has received funding to expand its No-Refusal Initiative to every weekend through the next three years, District Attorney Patricia Lykos announced Thursday.
Officials said the enhanced initiative begins Friday and continues through the Halloween weekend nights, a time when there is an increase in impaired drivers.
The funds, awarded through the Texas Department of Transportation, will pay for 246 No Refusal weekend days over the three-year life of the grant, the equivalent of eight months of daily added enforcement.
"In the past, we were limited to 11 weekends. This grant means that every weekend we will fight this crucial war against intoxicated drivers and their lethal legacy of crashes," District Attorney Lykos said.
Authorities said Harris County has led the nation in frequency of alcohol-related traffic crash fatalities. The District Attorney’s Office said it filed 13,788 criminal charges involving intoxicated drivers in 2009.
During No Refusal operations, suspected drunk drivers who decline a breath test will be subject to a mandatory blood test on the spot. In 2009, 359 No Refusal warrants were issued.
Catherine Evans, Chief of the District Attorney’s Vehicular Crimes Section, said the No Refusal program has repeatedly proven its effectiveness. Prosecutors said more suspects voluntarily consent to breath tests on No Refusal nights. For those who don’t, the blood evidence has boosted conviction rates.
Evans said No Refusal may also be used on some mid-week holidays or events typically associated with increased drunk driving. However, weekend nights remain the prime target.
"The ultimate goal of the District Attorney’s Office and our partners is to save lives by having people make safer transportation choices," Evans said.
