Posted: Tue, 29 May 2012 02:45 PM - 16,118 Readers

By: John Bumgardner

Law enforcement will be out in extra force on area waterways and roads this Memorial Day weekend.

Lake Austin will once again have a ban imposed on personal watercraft and APD is making it a No Refusal weekend as well.

APD is also testing a new breathalyzer device from Lifeloc police are dubbing as PAS, through June and July. Some 100 units were purchased with $30,000 of grant money.

APD officers will be working overtime as part of the DWI enforcement teams and all of them will be carrying a PAS device.

In 2011, after a 30 day DWI test of the PAS breathalyzer, out of 54 percent of those pulled over, only 11 percent came back with a higher intoxication than legally allowed.

APD says the new PAS breathalyzer comes with a policy change as well. Those who pass the breathalyzer with a reading of .05, and show no other evidence of drug use, will be released.

The no refusal enforcement period begins Friday at 9 p.m.