Austin PD Goes Full Bore on Daily ‘No-Refusal’ for Impaired Driving

In a move that's sure to leave libs clutching their pearls, the Austin Police Department is kicking it up a notch by making their no-refusal program for suspected drunk driving a daily, year-round affair. No more special events or holiday weekends—it's party time every day, folks!

This change comes after a successful summer initiative where the department kept the no-refusal party going strong every day. For those not in the know, during no-refusal periods, officers can get search warrants for blood or breath samples from impaired driving suspects who refuse to cooperate.

Police Detective Jason Day, who's clearly not here to mess around, says the no-refusal policy is pure gold because it helps police get the evidence they need to lock up the bad guys. He even boasted a 30% surge in warrants this year compared to last.

"We want people to get out and enjoy the community," Day said during a thrilling news conference on Thursday. "But we want to make sure they have a plan and a safe ride home.”

Day reminisced about the dark ages when there weren't enough taxis to go around, but thankfully, with ride-hailing apps like Uber, there's "no excuse" for drunk driving now.

To snag a warrant, cops have to present enough evidence to a municipal judge showing the perp was driving under the influence. Day made it clear this isn't some "rubber stamp" process—officers still gotta meet the mark for a judge to sign off.

And here's the cherry on top: as part of the no-refusal effort, every night there will be a DWI expert stationed at the jail to aid officers in all their DWI cases, even if the suspect clams up.

For those wondering, about 40% of people stopped in Austin for a suspected DWI refuse to give a sample. But with this new no-refusal program running every night from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m.—prime DWI time—things are about to get a lot more efficient.

So there you have it, folks. Austin PD is stepping up their game, and we say, "Cheers to that!" Just remember, if you're gonna party, do it responsibly. Leave the driving to the professionals, and let's keep Austin safe (and hilarious).