One more reason not to drink and drive: needles.
Tempe police may be following in the steps of Phoenix police and turning to drawing blood instead of using Breathalyzers to measure blood alcohol content, according to officials.
"Basically we want to make sure for these types of cases that we get the best evidence as possible in the most efficient means as possible," said Sgt. Mike Horn of Tempe police.
Tempe police currently use a combination of breath samples and blood samples depending on the types of situations, Horn said.
Horn said Tempe police administer a blood test if a fatality accident is involved.
"In misdemeanor cases we primarily use breath tests," he added.
Two of six Phoenix Police Department precincts, Desert Horizon and South Mountain, are using only blood samples for DUI tests, said Sgt. Chris Moore of Phoenix police's Vehicular Crimes Unit.
By 2010, Moore said they hope to use blood as the primary evidence collection for DUIs.
Moore said that when a suspect is pulled over, police officers take the suspect to the police station or to a DUI van to administer the test. They take two vials and one can be given to the suspect for independent testing, he said.
"Evidence can be obtained and analyzed till a later date and it's something we can hold onto if the defense attorney has questions at a later date," Moore said.
Phoenix police are turning to blood samples because it is considered the gold standard in the scientific community for analysis of evidence, Moore said.
About 40 percent of cases involve blood samples at this time, he added.
Phoenix law enforcement phlebotomists — a person trained for drawing blood for testing — attend a 40-hour school on how to draw blood from people, Moore said.
Tempe police statistics reported 1,436 misdemeanor DUI arrests in 2006, which are classified by a BAC between .08 and .15. Tempe police also reported 596 extreme DUIs, classified as anything more than a .15 BAC.
Film and media production freshman Nik Gravelle said he doesn't like the idea of having police officers administer a blood test.
"I think breathalyzers are good enough," Gravelle said. "People are being caught enough with breathalyzers. Let kids party."
Reach the reporter at heather.m.turner@asu.edu.
