Three people were arrested for driving high during an Anchorage Police Department campaign targeting drivers under the influence of marijuana over the April 20, or "420," weekend.
Police made 25 total arrests for operating under the influence from April 17 to April 20, with an added emphasis on drivers who might be celebrating the 420 holiday. Targeted enforcement included four additional patrol units and a drug recognition specialist.
In a press release Thursday, police said the additional detail -- made up of officers operating outside of their normal duty hours -- was responsible for 12 OUI arrests, including one for marijuana. APD spokesperson Jennifer Castro said the 11 other arrests were alcohol-related.
Castro said on any weekend police make 15 to 30 arrests for driving under the influence. She said usually two or three of those are attributed to something other than alcohol.
"So the numbers we saw here were regular in that sense," she said.
The additional detail also made one felony arrest for driving under the influence. Castro said the man arrested had seven prior DUI convictions and had a blood alcohol level of 0.279 when he was arrested April 20.
Police said earlier that funding for the targeted enforcement was provided by a grant through the Alaska Highway Safety Office. The grant of about $11,200 covered labor and a small amount for vehicle expenses.
The additional officers worked a total of 106.5 hours, coming in just a little under the cost of the grant, according to Castro.
Along with increased enforcement, the department also released a public service announcement warning people of the dangers of driving high. The "Drive High -- Get An OUI" video shows a trio of friends preparing for the 420 holiday and ultimately opting to not to drive while under the influence of marijuana.
Castro noted that of the three marijuana arrests made over the weekend, all the suspects were young -- between the ages of 17 and 22.