Sheriff's Office

For Immediate Release

Successful year-long campaign targeting impaired drivers sees increase in DUI arrests

The Washoe County Sheriff’s Office today announced results of a yearlong impaired driving saturation campaign.

The campaign, funded by a Nevada Office of Traffic Safety Impaired Driving grant, allowed for targeted traffic patrols which were held on Friday and Saturday nights from November of 2020 – September of 2021. The Friday and Saturday night saturation patrols resulted in a more than 16% increase in impaired driving arrests during the same period the previous year. This year, the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office effectuated 147 impaired driving arrests on Friday and Saturday nights. During the same nights and timeframe in 2019 - 2020 the Sheriff’s Office made 126 impaired driving arrests.

Impaired driving grant funded enforcement statistics:
DUI arrests: 18
            - Alcohol: 14
            - Drugs: 3 
            - Marijuana: 1 

Second offense: 1

Standardized Field Sobriety Tests conducted: 19

Refusal for evidentiary: 6

Speed citations: 30

Running red light citations: 9

Using cell phone / distracted driving citations: 42

Other citations: 59

Impaired driving crashes: 3

Total number of traffic stops: 266

The Washoe County Sheriff’s Office has again been awarded $35,000 from the Nevada Office of Traffic Safety for targeted impaired driving saturation patrols for November 2021 – October 2022.

The Washoe County Sheriff's Office is dedicated to preserving a safe and secure community with professionalism, respect, integrity and the highest commitment to equality. Sheriff Darin Balaam is the 27th person elected to serve as the Sheriff of Washoe County since the Office was created in 1861. The Washoe County Sheriff's Office strives to ensure public safety by building trust and creating partnerships within the diverse communities in which we serve. We will promote the dignity of all people supported by our words and actions through open communication while fostering an environment of professionalism, integrity and mutual respect.

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