Law Enforcement Agencies Note Fluctuations in DUI Arrests Over Holidays

Bay Area counties reported varying results for the number of people arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs during the New Year's holiday enforcement period.

Although some locations saw overall increases in the number of people arrested, others reported drops in DUI arrests, which bucks the statewide trend announced by the California Highway Patrol Monday that DUI driving arrests were up and traffic deaths were down compared to last year's numbers.

Statewide, CHP officers arrested 1,181 drivers on suspicion of DUI, up from 961 the year before, for the period between 6 p.m. Dec. 30 and 11:59 p.m. on Jan. 1.

CHP officers reported two fatalities and 195 DUI arrests on Bay Area roads, compared to five deaths and 140 DUI arrests the year before—a 39 percent increase in arrests.

The Avoid the 8 campaign announced Tuesday that police and CHP officers made 129 DUI arrests in San Francisco during the 17-day enforcement period beginning Dec. 16, up from last year's 100 arrests. Over the same period in Solano County, officers representing 10 county law enforcement agencies arrested more individuals this year on suspicion of DUI than last year.

According to provisional numbers released Tuesday, 48 arrests were made this year, compared to 39 DUI arrests made in the same period last year.

No alcohol-related traffic deaths were reported in San Francisco, and the last DUI fatality in the city occurred in 2007, San Francisco police traffic Capt. Al Casciato said Tuesday.

No DUI-related deaths were reported in Solano County for this year or last, authorities said. However, in Santa Clara County, 75 fewer people were arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs during this year's holiday crackdown compared to 2010, representing a 13 percent decrease in arrests. From 12:01 a.m. Dec. 16 to midnight Jan. 1, officers from various law enforcement agencies in the county arrested 482 people. In 2010, there were 557 DUI arrests during the same period.

Police in Petaluma reported that 29 percent more people were netted for DUI-related offenses during the enforcement period. This year, 163 drivers were arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence compared to 126 drivers arrested last year in Petaluma.

—Bay City News