Police crackdown causes increase in drunken driving arrests
Wibert
A month before East Lansing police Chief Tom Wibert’s May 2005 appointment, he stood at the scene of a fatal accident on Grand River Avenue and vowed to take on drunken drivers.
About three years later, the East Lansing Police Department’s crackdown on drunken driving has led to a nearly 30 percent increase in the number of annual drunken driving arrests. There were 357 arrests in 2004 and 462 arrests in 2007.
“This guy didn’t have a chance,” Wibert said about the 2005 accident. “Looking at the horrific scene and thinking, ‘I’m in a position to do something about this,’ I just made a decision right then and there.”
Okemos resident John Allen Hawkins, 46, was driving to work early on the morning after St. Patrick’s Day when he was hit head-on and killed by a drunken driver traveling about 80 mph who wasn’t using headlights.
The other driver, then-19-year-old Alexander Hamil of Marshall, was convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to eight to 20 years in prison in July 2005.
“One of the best things you can do to ensure safety is to arrest a drunk driver,” Wibert said.
The effort to keep drunken drivers off city roads has resulted in a 17-year high in arrests.
“Eighty-one percent of MSU students choose to use a designated driver,” he said. “Our goal is not to end drinking and partying in East Lansing … people are more likely to come downtown and enjoy themselves if they don’t have to worry about some bozo running into them.”
MSU police Sgt. Florene McGlothian-Taylor said although the university doesn’t specifically focus on drunken driving, it is a priority.
“We’re proactive in our patrolling to make certain the streets are safe from intoxicated drivers,” she said. “Our officers make consistent arrests.”
MSU police issued 117 drunken driving citations in 2005, when records were last released. The department cited 144 drivers in 2004, which amounts to an 18 percent decrease between the two years.
Wibert said drunken driving is a major concern in East Lansing because of the bars and nightlife.
And finance sophomore Mohnish Das said many students he knows think drunken driving isn’t a big deal.
“There’s a general apathetic attitude toward it,” he said.
For Das, the negative consequences have had a personal impact. The father of one of Das’ childhood friends and another friend both died in accidents involving drunken drivers.
Because of his experience, Das said he refuses to let his friends drive drunk.
“It’s a personal issue for me,” he said. “If a friend of mine is thinking they’re going to drive, I’d be happy to pay for a cab for them.”
Published on Sunday, February 24, 2008
Comments
asdas
02/25/08 @ 12:29am
if a person is drinking and can’t handle himself then he is a moron. If you drink and still drive normally obeying all signs, than its fine IMO.
The reason I say this is because I have seen people drink all night and then drive home and yet somehow they managed to drive drunk better than many people can sober.
it must end
02/25/08 @ 7:57am
On December 30th in Toledo, A drunk driver killed a 36 year old mother and her 5 young children, including an 8 week old baby. He was so drunk that he was driving the wrong way down the highway and hit the van full of that young family head on. ASDAS: it is NOT ok to drink and drive. When you drink, you don’t “still drive normally” – maybe it feels like you are, but you are risking your life, and way too many other people’s lives. Sure many your friends somehow got home safely, but their luck will end. I hope all of your friends who drink and drive end up in jail. Good Job ELPD for cracking down on drunk driving.
M Morris
02/25/08 @ 10:43am
Shame on asdas, for several reasons. One, your text is gender-specific; there ARE women drivers also, you know. Two, you say you saw drivers who had been drinking all night but they still drove? Wow – you let them? You did not make a determined effort to stop them? Three, on what basis, and how reliable is it, do you claim that you can determine comparitive driving capability – some drinkers drive better than some no-drinkers??? – and what relevance has that to the matter under discussion? Does ytour ridiculous point imply that no drunk drivers are potential killers and maimers? Four, how can you be equivocal about the absolute necessity for police to remove intoxicated drivers from streets on which OUR beloved families and the families of others are traveling? I suggest you attend a few ethics lessons.
JR
02/25/08 @ 11:25am
It must end: you risk your life going out on the roads at all… but drunk driver’s increase that risk. There are tolerance limitations, and the law says past .08 you shouldn’t be driving… that should be an average theoretically. You may not be fine driving at .04, I might not be fine drive past .11 – either way, people need to exercise caution when drinking and driving, absolutely. Personally, I still feel safer driving after having a beer or two than some of the people I see going to work everyday eating their McGriddles, reading the newspaper, and putting on makeup. Why don’t we have regulations against crap like that?
Mr. Obvious
02/25/08 @ 11:29am
asdag….you’re an idiot. Don’t post anymore comments.
i agree
02/25/08 @ 12:27pm
JR – I agree 100%. There should be regulations against all of that, including texting while driving. I wonder how many accidents have been caused because of that? How do cops regulate this though?