Several Valley agencies teamed up for a special DUI enforcement task force on St. Patrick’s Day, all in a big effort to keep drunken drivers off the roads.
Scottsdale police said they made three DUI arrests before 5 p.m. Thursday. They said the offenders were day drinking.
ABC15 was invited on a ride-along with DUI enforcement officer Nyckalis Ivanoff, as he cruised through Old Town Scottsdale.
“My favorite things to look for are failing to maintain a single lane, driving in the bicycle lane and wide turns,” said Ivanoff.
He pulled over several cars for various reasons, asking if anyone had been drinking.
“You really try to see if you can get a smell of the odor,” Ivanoff said.
He ran one driver through a test, as he had the driver follow his finger with just his eyes.
“There are so many options rather than drinking and driving,” said Ivanoff. “I can’t comprehend how people can do it.”
In 2015, Scottsdale PD had nine DUI arrests and two extreme DUI’s in the city.
They say their numbers have drastically declined over the years, and they believe it’s because they have stepped up their patrols on a heavy drinking night.
