More than 40 DWI arrests made over Memorial Day weekend, HPD says
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Houston police were busy over the Memorial Day weekend holiday after several DWI arrests were made.
HPD tweeted out that more than 40 DWI arrests were made Sunday night, only adding to the dozens already arrested the day prior.
The department had a message to share regarding the reckless driving.
"Don't put yourself and others in harms way if you decide to drink. Have a designated driver; use a ride share or taxi," police said.
The Memorial Day weekend is often deadly due to drunk drivers.
Because of concerning numbers in arrests, Constable Mark Herman has ordered for the Anti-Crime initiative to continue throughout the week.
The initiative is strategically designed to have more cops on the ground and has yielded a great number of arrests of suspected repeat offenders, according to a police report.
SEE RELATED STORY: Harris County Pct. 4 Constable's Office launches task force to tackle surge in repeat offenders
Here are the number of the different types of arrests so far:
- 80 DWI
- 48 warrant
- 15 misdemeanor
- 11 felony
- 7 drug
Each year, there are about 10% more alcohol-related fatalities during the Memorial Day weekend when compared to the yearly average.
Memorial Day weekend in 2019 saw more than 350 alcohol-related crashes in Texas. The holiday is typically a no-refusal weekend, meaning if the police suspect you have been drinking and you refuse a field sobriety test, they will get a judge to issue a warrant to draw blood.
The video above is from a related story.
SEE RELATED STORY: Wild Midtown crash could be start of dangerous Memorial Day weekend
