DENVER (AP) – Police from more than 100 agencies across Colorado will be out in force this St. Patrick’s Day weekend cracking down on drunk drivers.

The Colorado State Patrol said the increased enforcement begins on Friday.

Authorities say they have ramped up enforcement because St. Patrick’s Day falls on a Saturday this year.

Since 2007, DUI arrests over St. Patrick’s Day have increased nearly 50 percent, with a record 704 arrests in 2011.

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