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 SEDONA, Ariz. – Eight Verde Valley law enforcement agencies – including Sedona PD – are joining forces to keep the holidays safe this year with weekend DUI saturation patrols through the month of December.

“Last year, nationally, someone died in an alcohol-impaired vehicle crash every 50 minutes,” says Sedona Police Cmdr. Ron Bayne. “Our goal with the Verde Valley DUI Task Force is to intercept alcohol- and drug-impaired drivers before an accident can happen.”

In addition to the Sedona Police Department, the participating agencies are Camp Verde Marshal's Office, Cottonwood PD, Yavapai County Sheriff's Office, Yavapai-Apache Tribal PD, Clarkdale PD, Jerome PD, and the Arizona Department of Public Safety.

Camp Verde Marshall’s Office Cmdr. Brian Armstrong says, ideally, the effort will deter impaired driving primarily through public outreach and education, with enforcement secondary.

“The legal limit in Arizona for Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol is a blood alcohol content (BAC) of .08,” he says. “But it is also illegal in Arizona for an individual to operate a motor vehicle if impaired to the ‘slightest degree’ by alcohol or drugs, even with a BAC under .08. Officers are trained to detecting impairment in drivers."

The holiday Verde Valley Task Force mission is focused on saturation patrols, deploying officers to patrol specifically for impaired drivers during the designated Task Force hours of operation. Each weekend through December and New Year's Eve, rotating command locations will concentrate enforcement in the area near the command post.

Dates and command locations
Detail hours are 6 p.m. to 2 a.m.

12/8 Camp Verde/Cottonwood
12/9 Sedona
12/15 Clarkdale/Jerome
12/16 Cottonwood
12/22 Sedona
12/23 Camp Verde and Village of Oak Creek
12/29 Cottonwood
12/30 Clarkdale and Jerome
12/31 Sedona and Village of Oak Creek

Be smart. Be safe.

Learn how alcohol affects your driving ability

See how the holidays and impaired driving are related

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