County, statewide New Year’s patrols round up DUI offenders


January 6, 2012 · Updated 4:27 PM 

The Washington State Patrol arrested 253 people statewide suspected of driving while impaired by drugs or alcohol over the New Year’s holiday weekend, a 13 percent decrease from last year.

Of those 253 arrests from New Year’s Eve through Monday, 32 of the drivers were involved in crashes.

State troopers made 286 DUI arrests over the same time period last year.

A WSP news release said the reduction in the number of arrests over the New Year’s holiday weekend could be attributed to fewer people choosing to drink and drive.

Locally, Kitsap County sheriff’s deputies and area police reported 144 arrests throughout the county during a DUI enforcement campaign from Nov. 24 through Jan. 2. The extra patrols were funded by a grant from the Washington Traffic Safety Commission.

Last year during the same period, extra patrols arrested 83 people for DUI.

Comment on this story.

COMMENTING RULES: We encourage an open exchange of ideas in our online community, but we ask you to follow our guidelines for respecting community standards. In a nutshell, don't say anything you wouldn't want your mother to read. Please see our FAQ if you have questions or concerns about using Facebook to comment.

So keep your comments:

  • Civil
  • Smart
  • On-topic
  • Free of profanity

We ask that all participants own their words by logging in with their Facebook account. It's a simple process that will take seconds and helps keep our comments free of trolls, cranks, and “drive-by” commenters. We reserve the right to remove comments from anyone using screen names, pseudonyms or false identities. Please refer to our Terms of Use for full detail on participating on our site.