Department taking new DUI initiative
The Charleston Police Department is taking initiative to arrest students and residents who are driving under the influence.
The department has experienced a 6.7 percent net decline in traffic accidents over the last year, Deputy Chief Dave Chambers said.
The department has received a $13, 770 grant from the Illinois Department of Transportation to arrest individuals driving under the influence.
“We are trying to make it safer on the roads,” Chambers said.
The DUI Initiative Grant establishes set weeks in which the department increases their patrol, Deputy Chambers said.
“The state has set dates which are usually holidays, but that is not always the case,” Chambers said.
The last active enforcement period from the grant was March 11 through March 20.
The enforcement period usually lasts for about two weeks, Chambers said.
The department ran a total of 33 vehicle stops where they had five DUI arrests, he said.
The average blood alcohol content for these arrests was .195. The legal limit for blood alcohol content is .08.
“That is more than twice what you can legally drink and drive,” Deputy Chambers said.
For the enforcement week before March, the department conducted 33 stops where the department had four DUI arrests, Deputy Chambers said.
The Illinois Department of Transportation has powered the initiative since November 2010, Chambers said.
The penalty for driving under the influence is a Class A misdemeanor.
The two risk behaviors cause accidents, which are driving under the influence and disregarding traffic lights.
Chambers said the department is trying to take the initiative to prevent both of these risks behaviors and wants a 13 percent net decline in traffic accidents.
“The Illinois Department of Transportation wants results from the grant,” Chambers said.
The current grant will end in September of this year.
According to a Charleston press release the “the department also pursues DUI enforcement outside of the state funded enforcement periods.”
Elizabeth Edwards can be reached at 581-2812
