Kane County plans 'No Refusal' DUI patrol for Black Wednesday
Kane County prosecutors will work with police to hold a No Refusal DUI event on Nov. 27, also known as "Black Wednesday" and one of the biggest party days of the year.
State's Attorney Joe McMahon said this will be the sixth patrol held the day before Thanksgiving. The goal is not to make arrests, he said, but to encourage people to take alternative transportation if out celebrating.
"Historically, it's a very dangerous night to be on the roads, not just in Kane County but across the country," McMahon said this week during his monthly meeting with reporters.
Nov. 27 will mark the 24th overall No Refusal event in Kane County. The only other No Refusal this year was on Super Bowl Sunday.
McMahon said misdemeanor DUI cases in Kane have risen steadily since 2015.
There was a 13% jump from 2015 to 2016; a 9% increase from 2016 to 2017; a 10% increase from 2017 to 2018; and a 3% increase so far this year, McMahon said.
"I hope that reverses itself, but we'll see," he said.
A No Refusal is different from a roadside safety checkpoint at which police pull over selected vehicles to look for equipment and insurance violations or impaired drivers.
In No Refusal, prosecutors fan out across the county to work with police departments to prepare a search warrant for drivers arrested on charges of DUI who refuse to take a breath or chemical test.
The search warrant is taken to a judge for approval for a phlebotomist to take a blood sample. If the arrestee still refuses, a sample can be forcibly taken or the motorist charged with felony obstruction of justice, which is more severe that the DUI charge.