Officers attend DUI conference after 56 arrests over holiday weekend


8 photos
Save Story

Show 1 more video

Leer en español

Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes

This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.

WEST VALLEY CITY — Police officers attended a statewide DUI conference Wednesday to learn the latest technology and practices for cracking down on impaired drivers to keep families safe on Utah's roads.

Understanding the latest practices on DUI testing and arrests helps officers as more impaired drivers are fighting their case in court — and that puts more weight on the officers' evidence and reports to be extremely accurate and thorough.

The conference comes on the heels of one of the busiest DUI-centered weekends of the year.

"Friday night I arrested a girl, 18 years old, who was twice the legal limit,” said Utah Highway Patrol Capt. Steven Winward.

Over Memorial weekend, UHP officers pulled over close to 7,000 drivers.

"We ended up with 56 DUI arrests from Friday to Monday,” Winward said.

Despite the significant amount of people pulled over, there were zero alcohol-related deaths on Utah roads. But drunk driving is a year-round problem and officers are looking to always be ready to spot drivers under the influence.

"By them getting the education, they're going to be able to identify more readily an impaired driver,” Winward said. “And that's the goal with this training.”


By them getting the education, they're going to be able to identify more readily an impaired driver. And that's the goal with this training.

–Utah Highway Patrol Capt. Steven Winward


Officers learned about the latest portable breath-testing devices, along with ignition interlock devices and safety practices for testing an impaired driver to get the most complete evidence possible.

"More evidence and the best evidence, which is why what you see here today is so valuable,” said West Valley City police Sgt. Scott Buchanan.

Another key aspect to the conference is to bring outside vendors to show the latest technology for cracking down on drunk drivers. A new camera system can be used for sobriety testing in the field, and then used as evidence in court.

Officers were able to see firsthand through specialized goggles what it's like to try and walk the line when above the legal limit, proving difficult for even a trained officer to find sure footing.

"It becomes a little bit more of a challenge for law enforcement officers to keep up with the latest trends, so as a result we think it's important to use a conference like this to provide them those tools,” Buchanan said.

Close to 300 officers from around the state attended the conference held in West Valley City. The WVC Police Department said if the conference turns out to be a big success, then it will be the first of many DUI conferences in Utah.

Photos

Related stories

Most recent Utah stories

Related topics

Utah
Haley Smith

    STAY IN THE KNOW

    Get informative articles and interesting stories delivered to your inbox weekly. Subscribe to the KSL.com Trending 5.
    By subscribing, you acknowledge and agree to KSL.com's Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

    KSL Weather Forecast