DUI Arresting Agencies

Not all Arizona arresting agencies operate the same. Depending on where you are pulled over and arrested on suspicion of DUI, you could undergo a blood or breath test to determine your blood alcohol content (BAC). Further, if convicted, you may be put in a jail cell or “Tent City,” depending on where your arrest took place.

At the Rosenstein Law Group, we provide immediate representation to our clients arrested on suspicion of DUI by the following agencies:

Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO)

Being pulled over by an MCSO officer will likely lead to a breathalyzer test in a DUI processing van. Perhaps the most unique and well-known aspect of the MCSO is Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s tent jail. Created in 1993 as an alternative to releasing inmates due to jail overcrowding, the “Tent City” can hold up to 2,000 inmates. Prior to incarceration, background checks are done to prevent dangerous or predatory individuals from being placed there.

City Police

Individual cities are divided into blood or breath jurisdictions. Tempe police use the Intoxilyzer 8000, a breath testing machine. Scottsdale is a “blood jurisdiction,” where blood draws are performed by trained phlebotomists. Chandler and Gilbert also draw blood, but their law enforcement officers do receive limited phlebotomy training and can perform blood tests themselves. Phoenix has a select few officers certified for blood testing who can perform blood draws.

Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS)

The Arizona DPS boasts a Metro DUI Enforcement Unit dedicated to arresting and prosecuting impaired drivers and providing assistance for Highway Patrol Officers in DUI investigations. Unlike most all of the other arresting agencies in Maricopa County, DPS officers do not “cite and release” (which is when, following all necessary tests and booking procedures, a person is ticketed and then placed in a cab to be driven home). Instead, suspects arrested by DPS are brought to a DUI processing van or station for blood or breath testing, and then are booked into Phoenix’s notorious 4th Avenue Jail. Release from the jail is often 24 hours later.

Salt River Police Department

The Salt River Police Department patrols the reservation adjacent to Scottsdale and parts of State Route 101 (which drivers often take to drive in and through Scottsdale). If arrested on suspicion of DUI by Salt River police, you will be taken to one of two police stations to have your breath tested.

Unlike officers from other arresting agencies, Salt River officers patrolling parts of State Route 101 sometimes record arrests with a dashboard camera in the police car. This allows you and your attorney to review actual footage of the event.

Contact an Arizona DWI Lawyer for a Free Initial Consultation

Contact us 24 hours a day, seven days a week at 480-248-7666 to request a free initial consultation. We will provide you the information you need about the next steps after a DUI arrest in Chandler, Scottsdale or elsewhere in Arizona.

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