The Oxford, Mississippi Police Department and the Lafayette County Sheriff’s Office have initiated a new policy requiring Mississippi DUI suspects to be held in jail for four hours before being released on bond.
Previously, a person arrested for drunk driving would be released to a sober person, older than 21, who would assume responsibility for the offender. That included agreeing to make sure the intoxicated person did not get behind the wheel of a car before sobering up.
Oxford Assistant Police Chief Mike Martin says that safety and liability were the two prime reasons for the change in policy. If a DUI offender remained legally drunk and happened to injure someone after being released, the police department might be liable. Police records indicate that officers have often had to arrest a person twice in one night for DUI. The four hour delay before release minimizes the threat posed to public safety by the offender.
The mandatory jail time will be applied to anyone stopped for driving under the influence, whether it be from alcohol or drugs.
