FLORENCE, AZ – The Pinal County Sheriff’s Office will be unveiling its newest weapon in the fight against impaired driving, a DUI Task Force Van, on Friday, officials say.
The purchase of the "Pinal County Regional DUI Task Force" van was made possible thanks to $300,000 in grant funding provided by the Arizona Governor’s Office of Highway Safety.
Lieutenant Tamatha Villar with PCSO says the van will be used to conduct weekly enforcement efforts throughout the County.
Officials are hopeful the van will also provide a strong visual deterrent to warn drivers about the dangers of driving while impaired by alcohol and drugs.
Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu says, “Knowing alcohol-related collisions are the leading cause of death for people between the ages of six and 33, and that more than 50 percent of all fatal collisions in Pinal County are alcohol related shows us there is a serious problem that we can have a definite impact on.”
According to Villar, Arizona has a powerful program aimed at reducing alcohol-related fatalities; the core of which is an extensive network of DUI Task Forces conducting multi-agency enforcement and checkpoints throughout the state.
"The funding provided for this DUI van will undoubtedly improve the safety of our residents by providing our law enforcement agencies a place to safely and more efficiently process those suspected of driving while impaired," Sheriff Babeu says.
The Regional DUI Task Force Van will be unveiled Friday, October 2 at Carr-McNatt Park in Casa Grande.
Carr-McNatt Park
1115 North Brown Ave.
Casa Grande, AZ
