El Paso County deputies to increase DUI enforcement for Fourth of July holiday

Starting Wednesday, law enforcement across Colorado will increase its enforcement as agencies implement their Fourth of July DUI enforcement period.

It’s one of the busiest times of the year out on the roads. According to AAA, nearly 50 million Americans will be traveling this Independence Day. And with that many people out on the roads the probability of drinking and driving increases.

Sgt. Cliff Porter with the Traffic Enforcement Unity for the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office said, “The Fourth of July is, unfortunately, a dangerous time for many members of El Paso County for Citizens in El Paso County.”

And because of that, Porter said they will be out in full force.

“It’ll be some of the highest numbers of deputies dedicated solely to impaired drivers that we have seen no the roads in El Paso County in more than a year,” Porter said.

Last year over the Fourth of July holiday, 304 DUI arrests were made from more than 100 agencies across the state. So far this year, there have been 238 fatalities statewide. That’s a number that law enforcement would like to get down.

Porter said, “It is deadly, last year 37 percent of our fatalities in El Paso County were related to impaired drivers. This year we are seeing similar trends.”

And it’s not just the Fourth of July, law enforcement has made it an effort to step up their DUI enforcement. Over a 10-day period in June more than 80 arrests were made between Colorado Springs Police and the Sheriff’s Office.

“The Sheriff’s Office recently started its traffic enforcement unit again. El Paso County is unfortunate in having been the highest fatality county for traffic fatalities in the last two years running,” said Porter. “We are members of this community and we are working hard to make sure it is a community that is safe.”

Porter said the message is simple: if you drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs you will be caught. Before you go out, make sure you have a plan in place.