Tarrant County expands no refusal DWI program countywide, year-round
In the past, Tarrant County has launched its no-refusal DWI program around holidays with typically higher incidents of drunken driving, from New Year’s Day to the Fourth of July. Any suspected drunken driver who refuses a breath test during this time can be subjected to a court-ordered blood test under an expedited warrant.
All 41 Tarrant cities will have the option to make no-refusal a year-round policy, officials said during a news conference Wednesday on the front steps of the county courthouse.
There were 6,001 DWI cases in 2019, according to the Tarrant County District Attorney’s Office. And though officials on Wednesday didn’t say if there has been an increase in drunken driving, they described it as a prevalent problem that has continued to lead to deaths on more than just holidays.
The expansion effort is a result of a partnership between the District Attorney’s Office, Tarrant County Sheriff’s Department and participating police departments across the county, which will now have access to expedited judicial warrants and blood-draw locations. Police departments don’t have to formally opt in to the program, officials said, but it’s up to the departments to implement the program.
Cody Phillips, the chief of the Haltom City Police Department, said the majority of the jurisdictions in Tarrant County have elected to participate.
“Our purpose,” Phillips said, “is to bring awareness to individuals in an attempt to prevent families and individuals from having to deal with the aftermaths of a collision resulting from an impaired driver.”
Police chiefs from cities across Tarrant County stood on the steps behind him in a show of support for the expansion of the no-refusal program.
Speaking with reporters after the event, District Attorney Sharen Wilson said the expansion of the no-refusal program was made possible in part by grants obtained in past years, and the DA’s office intends to apply for more grants. The office is also counting on funding from police departments, she said, several of which already do no-refusal year-round and have been setting aside funds.
A misdemeanor DWI on the first offense carries up to a $2,000 fine and 180 days in jail.
Bexar County and the Dallas County Sheriff’s Office also enforce no-refusal year-round.
