CLEVELAND -- More than a dozen local law enforcement agencies conducted OVI warrant sweeps on Sunday.

Police from 18 departments fanned out across Cuyahoga County to arrest drunken driving defendants who have outstanding warrants.

Task force members attempted to serve 61 warrants and made 15 arrests.

The sweep began just after 8 a.m. and included officers from Beachwood, Bedford Heights, Berea, Brook Park, Euclid, Garfield Heights, Lyndhurst, Middleburg Heights, North Olmsted, Olmsted Falls, Orange, Parma, Parma Heights, Pepper Pike, Seven Hills, Strongsville, South Euclid and Westlake.

The OVI Warrant Service Operation is part of a series of details aimed at increasing public awareness and decreasing the number of impaired drivers who fail to complete the terms of their arrest.

Warrants are issued for such violations as failure to appear in court, pay fines or attend programs required under state law after an arrest.

During the holiday week, countywide enforcement efforts will continue including checkpoints and saturation patrols to crack down on intoxicated drivers.

"Every 39 minutes and nearly 40 times a day, someone in the United States dies in an impaired-driving-related crash, according to research by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration," said Capt. Robert Sackett. "Alcohol is a major factor in fatal crashes during the July Fourth holiday. This is why we are going to be out doing more sobriety checkpoints, saturation patrols and heightened enforcement activities, to show zero tolerance for anyone we catch driving impaired. Our message is simple: If we catch you driving impaired, we will arrest you. No exceptions. No excuses."

In Cuyahoga County in 2007, 20 people died in alcohol-related crashes and 813 were injured, police said.

Statistically, July Fourth is often the deadliest holiday period of the year -- due to impaired driving.