Louisiana Parish Sees Rise in DWI Arrests

As DWI arrests have risen over recent years, the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office in Louisiana is working to keep impaired drivers off the road.

Spokesman Brennan Matherne tells The Daily Comet the sheriff’s office made 291 DWI arrests in 2011. That number jumped to 407 in 2012 and 430 last year. Though the numbers show law enforcement cracking down, Matherne said, they also represent a need for awareness.

Matherne says the Traffic Division visits local schools and works with Mothers Against Drunk Driving in education efforts.

He said a no-refusal policy established in 2010 allows the sheriff’s office to get warrants for blood tests anytime someone refuses a breath tests. Some deputies’ main job while patrolling is to watch for suspected impaired drivers.