Crime & Safety
Chief: Less Manpower, Less DWI Arrests
DWI arrests have decreased in Lacey Township since 2008
Recent national studies on instances of drinking and driving are showing some good news, for once: On average, Americans appear to be driving drunk less often. But police records show Barnegat DWI arrest rates are holding steady, indicating the downward trend may not be present here.
According to a study released last week by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, drunken driving has dropped 30 percent in the U.S. over the last five years.
So is the same true on our local roads?
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Although statistics for Lacey Township showed an increase from 2003 to 2008, the number of DWI arrests has decreased since, Police Chief William Nally said.
“We’re probably doing less,” Nally said. “We continue to utilize drunk driving enforcement funds but it’s all part of the equation of having fewer men.”
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The high in DWI statistics in Lacey was 174 in 2008. Nally is projecting 91 arrests to be made by the end of this year, he said.
Since 2008 there has been a decrease in manpower, Nally said, forcing the police department to be less proactive. With six less officers since 2008, the department has become more of a “response oriented organization.”
Also contributing to the decrease in DWI arrests may be an increased awareness into the ramifications of drunk driving, Nally said.
“There’s no evidence that I’ve seen as to a decline in drunk driving,” he said.
With Thanksgiving approaching, this Wednesday is the biggest bar day of the year, Nally said.
“Officers will certainly be involved in that area,” he said.
The Lacey Township Police Department will not have any checkpoints though, Nally said. DWI arrests occur throughout Lacey Township. New Jersey has strict guidelines to follow in order to operate a checkpoint, including pinpointing a high-risk location.
“We will be more vigilant,” he said.
The CDC data comes from a self-reporting poll conducted in 2010. The agency anonymously surveyed 210,000 U.S. adults, asking them how often they drove after drinking.
The CDC used the data to estimate that there were 112 instances of drunken driving in 2010, compared to 161 million in 2006 – a 30 percent decline.
Data from the The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration lines up with the CDC’s findings. According to the latest reports from the NHTSA’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System, the number of drivers involved in fatal crashes where alcohol played a role has been dropping steadily since 2005.
From 2005 to 2009, that number dropped from 58,341 to 44,632, a decline of nearly 24 percent. New Jersey-specific data indicates a similar drop.
According to a CBS News report on the findings, some studies suggest the recession may be the reason for the nationwide drop-off in drunken driving. Research indicates people may be avoiding bars and drinking on the cheap by staying home, the report says.
Below are Lacey Township’s statistics on DWI arrests by year and month.
DWI Arrests
Year
Arrests
2011
76 (as of Oct. 31)
2010
122
2009
121
2008
174
2007
163
2006
134
2005
118
2004
81
2003
67
Monthly DWI Arrests
2011
2010
2009
January
4
12
8
February
3
10
14
March
13
9
4
April
8
12
9
May
4
10
13
June
8
6
7
July
16
8
10
August
5
10
18
September
8
13
7
October
7
12
6
November
13
16
December
7
9
Total
122
121
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