The News Room [News Archive]
Sheriff Contact: John Roach: 313-224-0615
Release Date: Tuesday, March 16, 2004
Pre-St. Pat’s warrant sweep takes
112 Deadbeat Drunken Drivers off the road
When
police officers rolled up to the Detroit home of Alan Tinsley to
arrest him on a probation violation warrant stemming from his Operating
While Intoxicated [OWI] – 2nd Offense conviction, they expected
they might find him inside his house. What they didn’t expect
was to find him behind the wheel of his car – drunk yet again – and
pulling out of his driveway. Officers immediately stopped and arrested
him after the personal breathalyzer test they administered on Tinsley
showed his blood alcohol content at nearly .14, well over the state’s
new legal limit of .08 percent.
According to Wayne County Sheriff Warren Evans, Tinsley, 40, fits
the exact profile of people that his and a dozen other police departments
are targeting this week as part of Operation LAST CALL, a Pre-St.
Patrick’s Day sweep to round up individuals charged with
drunken driving, but who fail to show for their court dates.
“These are the high-percentage offenders,” Evans said. “They
have a history of drinking and driving, they refuse to receive
their punishment and very likely are out still drinking and driving.
It’s important we get as many of these ticking time bombs
off the street before their luck runs out and they kill somebody.”
During the two-day multi-agency sweep, officers arrested 112 people
on outstanding drunken driving warrants. Tinsley, whose vehicle
also was towed under nuisance abatement laws, now faces charges
of OWI 3rd Offense, which could bring a felony conviction. Other
agencies participating in the sweep include Detroit, Livonia and
other suburban departments.
According to Wayne County’s 3rd Circuit Court records, there
are more than 7,000 offenders currently at large for a variety
of drinking & driving offense, including: OUIL Third Offense;
OUIL Serious Injury and OUIL Manslaughter. Those numbers are what
led Evans to create a new unit in the sheriff’s office whose
sole task it is to arrest these no-shows. Since the five-officer
team became operational in late October 2003, it has arrested nearly
275 offenders, not including the current sweep.
» Go To Top
Sheriff's News...
Sheriff of Wayne County
1231 St. Antoine
Detroit, MI 48226
Ph: (313) 224-2222
Fx: (313) 224-2367