EL PASO — The El Paso Police Department will be having a “No Refusal Mandatory Blood Draw” on July 4th 2012.

These operations are conducted randomly throughout the year. In these operations Officers who have arrested an individual for Driving While Intoxicated and that individual refuses to provide a breath specimen, the officer will present the probable cause to a judge and request a search warrant for the individual’s blood.

Historically, about half of the city’s yearly traffic fatalities involve alcohol. Police encourage individuals to use a cab or designated driver if they have consumed alcoholic beverages.