Official: 'No Refusal' DUI stings will continue in Kane Co.

Kane County State's Attorney John Barsanti is moving ahead with an aggressive DUI crackdown even though a few local police departments have been uncooperative.

The decision was announced Tuesday, about a month after Barsanti said he might end the "No Refusal" program because three undisclosed police agencies unexpectedly withdrew their support.

Since then, Barsanti said, seven departments expressed an interest in participating.

"Pretty much, people were surprised some departments didn't want to do it," he said.

Funded by grants, "No Refusal" puts extra police on the street on a scheduled night or weekend - usually around a holiday - to look for signs of impaired driving. Assistant state's attorneys are on standby, meanwhile, to help draft search warrants in the event a suspected drunk refuses a blood-alcohol test. If a judge signs the warrant, additional charges, such as contempt of court, can be filed against suspects who continue to refuse.

Past "No Refusal" operations have taken place in unincorporated Kane County, Elgin and the Tri-Cities, resulting in more than 20 arrests on or around Memorial Day, July 4, and St. Patrick's Day.

The next one will be on Halloween, but authorities are keeping the location secret.

Barsanti said Tuesday he did not know whether any of the three departments that rebuffed his invitations were among those now expressing interest. He has said the uncooperative agencies didn't fully explain their positions, simpy calling the program "controversial."

Barsanti has said it appears "No Refusal" does its job of making people think twice about drinking and driving. There has been a declining number of arrests at each sting, which Barsanti says could be a sign drivers are hearing about them and finding a designated driver.

Critics could argue, however, that "No Refusal" hasn't performed as well in court. The first man to refuse a search warrant was acquitted of a contempt of court charge by a judge who said it was not the same as refusing to comply with a court order. The case of another driver charged in a later sting is pending in Kane County Circuit Court.