DWI Rates – Some History on Fiesta: In 1891, a group of ladies came together to decorate horse-drawn carriages, parade them in the front of the Alamo, and shower each other with flower blossoms. This was done as an effort to honor the heroes from the battles of San Jacinto and the Alamo. Since then, the festival has grown to become a popular attraction for visitors from all over the world, some 3.5 million people, and that brings over $300 million in revenue to the city each year.
It is one of America’s greatest festivals and, over the past century, Fiesta has evolved into a celebration of San Antonio’s diversity and the rich cultures that make this place unique. Dubbed the Party With A Purpose,” the funds raised by these events provide services to citizens in San Antonio throughout the entire year. In this way, the Fiesta never ends. Yet, any event that can relate to any type of “party” will always bring those who get out of hand through consumption of alcohol.
A New Initiative During The Fiesta Helps Bring Awareness To An Insidious Problem
Over the past couple of years, the San Antonio Police Department has been concentrating on awareness and they believe that this has played a part in reducing the number of DWI arrests that have occurred during this event.
During the last campaign, the SAPD’s public information office posted live photos of DWI incidents on Twitter and Facebook. This initiative, called virtual DWI ride-alongs, was developed to show people that DWIs are a real issue that are not confined to Fiesta.
In fact, Salazar says that the SAPD’s social media campaigns against DWI has boosted their numbers of followers and brought another level of awareness to this problem that plagues cities all over the world.
DWI Rates – Awareness Brings Dramatic Changes To DWI Arrests During The “Party with a Purpose”. During last month’s annual citywide celebration of Fiesta, the police recorded the lowest number of DWI arrests in several years. The Fiesta celebration lasted from April 16th thru April 26 and, during that time, a little over 200 individuals were charged with DWI by the police officers based on information provided by the SAPD.
This number is nearly half the total from last year’s event, where the police department made 402 DWI arrests. Sergeant Javier Salazar, the SAPD spokesman, said that the reason the DWI arrests last year were so high was due to the event running for 18 days, instead of the usual 11. Still, when compared to the arrests made in 2011 and 2012 (when the event ran for 11 days), arrests this year decreased by approximately 100 individuals. As a comparison, in 2013, police made 304 DWI arrests and 339 in 2012.
Based on the information listed above, awareness of the DWI issue has helped to bring about change in the city of San Antonio, especially during this famous celebration. Hopefully, this initiative will spread throughout the country, and the world, to help reduce the instances of DWI arrests and help make the streets safer for everyone.
DWI Rates – Although the overall message is that some festivities that used to be known for high DWI counts are getting better, there will always be a need for DWI lawyers. Collin Evans is a DWI/DUI criminal lawyer that serves Houston, and other parts of Texas. Should you find yourself in trouble with a DWI or DUI, please give us a call immediately. We offer a free consultation, affordable prices, and strive to make the entire process as painless as possible.