ROCKFORD TOPS POLICE DEPARTMENTS IN DUI ARRESTS

Schaumburg, May 26, 2010: Since 1990, the Alliance Against Intoxicated Motorists (AAIM) has conducted an annual survey of Illinois police departments to determine how many DUI arrests they make and to give recognition to the most productive departments and police officers. Through a grant from the Illinois Department of Transportation, nearly 700 police agencies were surveyed with 68% responding. AAIM not only praises these departments and individual officers, but we also want to encourage them to keep up the fight against drunk driving and it has paid off. The most important deterrent to drunk driving is law enforcement.

The Rockford Police Department has finished first in the state in DUI arrests among municipal departments with 743 arrests for 2009. (Because of its size, Chicago is in its own category.) Rockford has been a perennial top-ten police department in AAIM’s DUI ranking.

In 2009, Decatur was second with 730 arrests, followed by Naperville (581), Carol Stream (499), Aurora (447), Elgin (422), Rock Island (415), Springfield (396), Waukegan (376) and Normal (356). "More DUI arrests in these municipalities do not necessarily mean there are more drunk drivers in those towns than in the rest of the state,” said Charlene Chapman, Executive Director of AAIM. "It does indicate a more active enforcement effort targeting DUI by those departments compared to other departments.”

The highest DUI arrest rate in the state among departments making at least 200 arrests was River Grove which had 8.83 arrests per sworn officer. The second highest rate of 7.92 was in Carol Stream. Arrests per officer are an indicator of a department’s emphasis on DUI enforcement and are a measure that can be used to compare smaller departments.

Chicago police made less arrests in 2009 (4,341) than in 2008 (5,262), while Illinois State Police increased arrests by 3% in 2009 (9,996) compared to 2008 (9,702). The sheriff’s department reporting the most DUI arrests was in Cook County (437), while Lake (366), DeKalb (302), Will (298) and McHenry (288) Counties round out the top five sheriff departments.

Chicago Police Officer Timothy Walter was Illinois’ Top Cop with 215 DUI arrests. AAIM also commends the life-saving efforts of Decatur Police Officer Steven Hagemeyer who arrested 192 drunk drivers. "When police chiefs make it a priority to get impaired drivers off the roads, lots of arrests are made. Each of these individual officers makes more DUI arrests per year than the majority of most entire police departments in Illinois. These officers deserve recognition and thanks for their diligence in promoting public safety,” said Chapman.

In a familiar pattern, the regions of the state with the strongest DUI enforcement are Cook County, which accounts for eleven of the state’s top departments and DuPage County, which accounts for nine departments. "More DUI arrests in Cook and DuPage counties don’t necessarily mean there are more drunk drivers in those regions than in the rest of the state,” said Chapman. "It does indicate a more active enforcement effort targeting DUI by those departments compared to other departments.”

The biggest increase in arrests among the top departments was in Evanston where DUI arrests jumped by 74.6% in 2009 compared to 2008. According to Chief Richard Eddington, "The Evanston Police Department has a rich history in regards to traffic safety. The police department has made a renewed commitment to the citizens of Evanston in the area of improved driving due to the fact that too many people continue to suffer devastating injuries and the loss of loved ones when people drive impaired.” Other municipalities with large increases from 2008 to 2009 are Gurnee (53.5%), Normal (26.7%), River Grove (19%) and Elgin (18%).

"AAIM is always particularly pleased to announce the increases in impaired driving arrests. Traffic safety advocates believe that drunk drivers who are arrested are the fortunate ones. In our impaired driving prevention programs, we always remind people that if they are driving drunk they are lucky if it is a cop that stops them, rather than a tree, another car or a small child," according to AAIM board member and crash survivor, Marti Belluschi.

AAIM is a citizen activist group founded in 1982 by victims of drunk driving. Prevention, victim advocacy, and legislation encompass the mission of AAIM. The survey provides a valuable service by encouraging citizens to compare the DUI enforcement record of their local police department with that of other communities. As a result, public pressure can be applied, where needed, to make DUI enforcement a priority.