ROCKFORD TOPS POLICE DEPARTMENTS IN DUI ARRESTS

Schaumburg, May 11, 2009: 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 60% responding. The most important deterrent to drunk driving is law enforcement. 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’s paid off.

The Rockford Police Department has finished first in the state in DUI arrests among municipal departments with 785 arrests for 2008. (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 2008, Naperville was second with 651 arrests, followed by Decatur (648), Carol Stream (604), Waukegan (438), Mundelein (434), Rock Island (432), Aurora (420), Alton (384) and Springfield (375). “More DUI arrests in these municipalities don’t necessarily mean there are more drunk drivers in those towns than in the rest of the state,” said Charlene Chapman, Executive Director. "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 Roscoe which had 13.15 arrests per sworn officer. The second highest rate of 9.44 was in Carol Stream. Arrests per officer are an indicator of a department’s emphasis on DUI enforcement and are a measure that smaller departments can be compared.

Chicago police made less arrests in 2008 (5,262) than in 2007 (6,257), while Illinois State Police increased arrests by 13% in 2008 (9,702) compared to 2007 (8,587). The sheriff’s department reporting the most DUI arrests was in Cook County (490), while Lake (401), Winnebago (394), DeKalb (369) and McHenry (328) Counties round out the top five sheriff departments.

Chicago police made more arrests in 2007 (6,257) than in 2006 (5,970), while Illinois State Police increased arrests by 6% in 2007 (8,587) compared to 2006 (8,079). The sheriff’s department reporting the most DUI arrests was in Cook County (498), while DeKalb (417), Lake (379), DuPage (360), and Will (338) Counties round out the top five sheriff departments.

Sangamon County Deputy James McNamara was Illinois’ Top Cop with 247 DUI arrests. AAIM also commends the life-saving efforts of Illinois State Police Trooper Ray Sutton who arrested 183 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 whole police departments in Illinois. These officers deserve recognition and thanks for their diligence in promoting public safety," said Chapman.

The biggest increases in arrests among the top departments were in Decatur where DUI arrests jumped by 121% in 2008 compared to 2007, Roscoe (99%), Aurora (88%), Belvidere (82%) and Orland Park (47%). "It’s highly unlikely that such big increases in arrests indicate corresponding increases in impaired drivers on the roads in those towns; it just means more of them were being detected and arrested last year compared to previous years," said Chapman, who has been conducting the annual survey for AAIM since 1990.

AAIM is a citizen’s 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.

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For a full list of Illinois departments click here