New police vehicle to focus on DUI enforcement

This holiday season, the Maricopa Police Department will have a new tool for stopping drivers who decide to drink before getting behind the wheel.

Funded by a grant received from the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety, the local police agency will add a Chevy Tahoe to its fleet of vehicles. The Tahoe will be outfitted with equipment used specifically for DUI enforcement.

“The vehicle won’t be used for regular day-to-day operations,” said Ricky Alvarado, a spokesman for the department.

Rather, the Tahoe will be reserved for special occasions, when drunk drivers are likely to be out on the road. That includes holidays and special city events such as the Salsa Festival and Stagecoach Days. The police department will use the vehicle when teaming up with the Pinal County Regional D.U.I. Task Force, a multi-agency effort to stop drunk drivers during these special occasions.    

The Governor’s Office of Highway Safety awarded the department $72,000 to cover the cost of the SUV, equipment and employee-related expenses as well as funding for processing blood samples.  

The Tahoe will include five portable breath test devices and an Intoxilyzer 8000, an instrument that uses infrared light to detect alcohol on a person’s breath.

In June, the city council approved two contracts with the GOHS that broke down the personnel and equipment expenses related to use of the funds.