TYLER, Texas (KETK)-- Smith County has seen a 25% increase in DWI charges from 2023 to 2024, largely due to enhanced enforcement efforts, according to a detective with the sheriff's office.

Ryan Edmonds, a DWI expert currently assigned to the Crimes Against Children Unit at the Smith County Sheriff's Office, explained to KETK News that the rise in DWI arrests is attributed to increased training and the deployment of task forces during peak times for intoxicated driving.

"The biggest factor behind that increase is probably the enhanced enforcement that we've put into place," Edmonds said.

DWI Statistics in Smith County:

2023 total charges: 929 • Arp Police Department: 3 • Bullard Police Department: 23 • Constable's Office Precinct 4 Winona: 1 • Lindale Police Department: 27 •

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