By Greg Grisolano
ggrisolano@joplinglobe.com
Area law enforcement officials credit educational campaigns and increased patrols with helping to reduce the number of drunk-driving arrests on New Year’s Eve.
Joplin led the way with nine arrests on suspicion of driving while intoxicated, but law enforcement in other communities in Missouri and Kansas said they had only one or two arrests over the holiday.
Joplin police were able to deploy additional officers thanks to a state grant, according to Lt. Brian Lewis.
“I think the main reason is we have two new DWI grant officers that are funded by the state,” Lewis said. “We’re fortunate enough, especially on New Year’s Eve, that we’re able to dedicate those resources.”
Lewis said Joplin police did not conduct any checkpoints but did increase the number of officers patrolling the streets.
Lewis also said the relative size and number of drinking establishments in the city made Joplin a more popular place for revelers on the holiday.
“There’s a bigger population here, there’s more drinking establishments,” he said. “I think those two things together are the primary reason we have more arrests.”
Webb City police also deployed additional officers on New Year’s Eve, but made only one DWI arrest, according to Assistant Chief Donald Melton.
“People are aware that the focus of enforcement is on holiday nights. That’s when they opt to have a designated driver, or take a cab home,” he said.
Melton said while the department continues “aggressive enforcement” of DWI laws, officers did not make any DWI arrests on New Year’s Eve last year and had only one arrest the year before that.
Only two alcohol-related arrests took place in Crawford County, something undersheriff Dan Peak believes may be related to an increase in education about the consequences of impaired driving.
“I think it’s an awareness issue,” Peak said. “People are more aware of the penalties involved with drinking and driving, and with the economic times, the last thing anyone wants to do is spend thousands of dollars to get out of a DUI (driving under the influence) charge.”
Peak said the number of arrests on New Year’s Day has been declining for the past several years, dropping from five in 2006, to four in 2007 and zero in 2008.
Even the highway patrols for Kansas and Missouri reported a low number of drunken-driving related arrests in this area.
The Kansas Highway Patrol pulled over two drivers in Cherokee County this year, and had zero DUI arrests in Crawford, Cherokee and Labette counties last year, according to Capt. Rick Wilson.
“It doesn’t seem that New Year’s Eve is quite the holiday for alcohol that it used to be,” he said. “It seems like the last four or five years, the awareness has gone up and the arrests have gone down, and that’s the way we want it.”
Missouri Highway Patrol officers made three DWI arrests in Newton County, according to Sgt. Mike Watson.
“The way we look at it is hopefully the message is getting out in terms of education and our enforcement,” he said. “Therefore the numbers as far as the arrests are going to go down. Unfortunately, still nearly a quarter of our traffic fatalities involve drinking.”
