The Glendale Police Department has a new tool in its fight against drunk driving. The Arizona city recently put into service a special DUI processing van that is equipped with computers, communications equipment, breath-testing devices, cameras and blood drawing stations.
The mobile unit will be positioned around the city near police activities targeting DUI, speeding, aggressive driving and seat belt
violations. The state-of-the-art ‘one stop’ van will place valuable resources the site of law enforcement, which, according to Glendale
Police Chief Steve Conrad, will “help our officers process a DUI from start to finish in much less time. It will allow for collection of
evidence much quicker, resulting in getting officers back on to the streets to catch more people who should not be driving.” The van could reduce the processing of a DUI case from several hours to just 45 minutes.
The vehicle is also considered a visual deterrent due to its large size and easily identifiable graphic markings.
The van was purchased with a grant from the Arizona Governor’s Office of Highway Safety and it will be shared with Arizona DUI Task Forces in neighboring communities. In addition to aiding police officers with public safety, the van will be used as an educational tool, particularly during Holiday anti-DUI campaigns and community events.
