Police officers in the Tucson Police Department received a large state grant in order to better enforce DUI laws in the coming year.

The funds will be allocated to enforcement of existing traffic laws through selective enforcement efforts, often called saturation patrols. Part of this enforcement includes a DUI checkpoint scheduled in the area this Friday. 

DUI checkpoints cost a lot of money to put on. The roads must be closed down and secured. In addition, officers at a checkpoint are often paid overtime due to the high number of officers required to run the checkpoint effectively. Though the cost is high, most police departments expect to make the money back through citations.

Checkpoints boast a relatively low incident of actual DUI arrests. Instead, they count on a high number of routine traffic citations to cover the expense. Seat belt violations, expired tags and license violations are among the most common issues cited. 

The Tucson Police Department has been hosting checkpoints since 2007. It says DUI crashes in the area have been reduced nearly 20% since the induction of checkpoints. This was, in part, reason for the grant.