SAN ANTONIO — San Antonio Police are driving the extra mile to get lawbreakers off the streets as Fiesta continues.
SAPD Officer Tony Alvarez has been with the department for about three years. He works in the DWI unit.
"They are out there every single night," he said. "I just try to do the best I can to get them off the roadway."
Officer Alvarez said there has been an uptick in people driving drunk.
"When they opened up everything at 100 percent," he said. "So, of course people are trying to take advantage of that. They have been cooped up at home. They want to go out there and enjoy what they previously were able to do."
The SAPD DWI Unit also on heightened alert because of Fiesta.
"Being that we did not have Fiesta last year, you have a lot more people coming out and wanting to experience that again," he said. "Fiesta is a big tradition here in San Antonio and being that bars were shut down and Fiesta was canceled you see more people trying to come out and enjoy the festivities."
According to stats provided by SAPD, police arrested 13 people for DWI on the first night of Fiesta this year. In 2019, on Fiesta's first day police arrested only one person.
"Intoxicated drivers are there every night," the officer said. "And it has nothing to do with Fiesta. It is just an every night occurrence."
Officer Alvarez said drivers need to be alert.
"Be responsible. Have a plan. Have a designated driver," he said.
KENS 5's Henry Ramos joined up with a DWI unit to get an idea of what a typical night is like as they work to keep drunk drivers of the streets. Here's some of what he saw Thursday evening.