The El Paso City Council is taking action to curb drunk driving.
During its upcoming meeting Tuesday, May 12, the City Council is poised to approve a plan to direct the city manager to work with the city attorney to prepare a report on driving while intoxicated (DWI) data within 45 days.
Within 90 days, the city manager is tasked with preparing an Anti-DWI strategy to be presented to City Council, which will also amend its legislative priorities to include anti-DWI advocacy.
According to a document accompanying Tuesday’s agenda, DWI activity in El Paso has increased as much as 6%.
Public safety is a priority for the city of El Paso,” city Rep. Ivan Nino, who introduced the agenda item, wrote in the document. “Driving while intoxicated continues to be a serious public safety issue in El Paso. These incidents impact families, neighborhoods, and place added strain on law enforcement, emergency services, and city infrastructure.”
Nino was inspired to introduce the item after meeting with residents, advocacy groups and law enforcement to hear about the severity of the DWI problem in El Paso. Nino also took part in a ride-along with El Paso police officers on the department’s DWI Task Force to get a first-hand glimpse of what officers regularly deal with.
“To better understand the full scope of the issue and help guide future policy decisions,” Nino wrote, “it is important to begin with a clear, data-driven assessment of DWI trends and their impacts across the city.”
Challenger emerges in District 8
A handful of City Council seats will appear on the November ballot and at least one sitting representative — city Rep. Chris Canales in District 8 — is facing a challenger.
Included on Tuesday’s agenda is a list of donations to Arturo R. Alluin, an entrepreneur looking to represent a district that includes El Paso High School, Kern Place, Mesa Hills and the Chamizal National Monument.
Alluin’s campaign is being led by former city Rep. Isabel Salcido.
Following is a breakdown of the contributions included on Tuesday’s agenda:
Adam Powell covers government and politics for the El Paso Times and can be reached via email at apowell@elpasotimes.com.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: El Paso City Council to address drunk driving problem
Reporting by Adam Powell, El Paso Times / El Paso Times
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
