PARADISE — Compared with the same period last year, driving-under-the-influence arrests are higher for the first 10 days of the current holiday season in Butte County.
Between Dec. 17 and midnight Sunday, officers representing the county’s Avoid the Eight campaign arrested 46 motorists for being under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
In the same 10-day period last year, 41 arrests were made.
The maximum enforcement period in Butte County continues through midnight, Jan. 2.
Between now and then, officers will conduct another DUI checkpoint in Paradise, and staff saturation DUI patrols in Chico, Paradise and Oroville.
All county law-enforcement agencies will have officers focused on stopping and arresting impaired drivers during their regular patrols.
Locally, there have been no fatal accidents involving drunken driving so far this holiday period.
“Avoid the Eight” refers to the eight law-enforcement agencies in Butte County that are working together to make DUI arrests during the holidays.
