Police say California Rodeo Salinas week sees uptick in DUIs every year

SALINAS, Calif. (KION) - The Salinas Police Department say they are extra busy this time of year, as they see an increase in the average of DUIs during the California Rodeo Salinas.

The Rodeo brings in hundreds of people. Mayra Torres is excited to bring her family to the event.

"It’s fun something to do once of year one of the biggest event in Salinas and to bring the kids," said Torres.

Although the event brings out fun events for all, it’s also a busy week for the police.

"The majority of the stuff we see is driving under the influence," said Luis Bravo, a Commander with the Salinas Police Department.

Investigators say in 2019, 6 people were arrested for driving under the influence during big week. None in 2020, 8 in 2022, and 7 last year.

With ticket sales on the rise, we asked event organizers how they’re keeping everyone safe.

"We routinely cut people off from alcohol. We have zero tolerance for minors and people who pass things to minors. So that can be addressed internally by ejecting people from the grounds can also be addressed criminally with the police department if we think it's a bigger issue than that," said Kelly McMillan, the director of public safety for the California Rodeo Salinas.

Mayra hopes she can make it back home safely.

"Yes, I am, actually. because, you know, you could be perfectly fine. And it's just you just don't know the other driver and how they're driving and then sometimes are. They end up just driving home intoxicated. They just think they're fine to drive home and they end up hurting themselves and other families."

People can feel a bit safer knowing this rodeo has the largest public safety committee at the California Rodeo Association.

They will have around 80 public safety members on the grounds.

The Salinas Police Department they will have extra patrols out on the street and at the rodeo for the rest of this week.