BY BRIAN BRUEGGEMANN - News-Democrat
The number of DUI cases dropped in both St. Clair and Madison counties in 2009.
Though the decreases are relatively small, they do suggest a leveling-off in the number of DUI arrests in the metro-east.
St. Clair County had 1,747 DUI cases filed in 2009, compared with 1,804 in 2008 and 1,749 in 2007.
Madison County had 1,658 DUI cases filed in 2009, compared with 1,796 in 2008 and 1,689 in 2007.
Kristi Hosea, a victim-services specialist with Illinois Mothers Against Drunk Driving, said stepped-up efforts by police have been helpful, but there won't be a significant decrease in drunken driving until breath-alcohol ignition interlocks are more widely required in vehicles.
"People's behaviors aren't changing after they're arrested for a drunk-driving case," she said. "One of the things we're doing in Illinois is pushing for more ignition interlocks."
Under a state law that took effect a year ago, first-time offenders now must use a breath-alcohol ignition interlock device if they want to drive while their licenses are suspended.
Hosea said, "We need to make cars inoperable for drunk drivers."
The local statistics do not include drunken-driving cases filed as felonies. There are various ways a DUI case can be a felony. For example, a third offense or one that involves a serious injury is typically charged as a felony.
Madison County State's Attorney Bill Mudge said the 2009 figures for his county are good news.
"The first decline in Madison County DUI filings in six years tells me that our aggressive prosecution of these cases is paying off," Mudge said. "There is no question that public awareness of the DUI problem is gaining momentum and drivers are being more responsible. Police enforcement efforts, as well as the quality of their investigative and reporting work, has steadily improved over the years, making it easier to successfully prosecute these cases and more difficult for offenders to avoid the severe consequences of driving under the influence."
St. Clair County Sheriff's Capt. Steve Johnson said he believes more people are cognizant of the consequences of driving drunk.
"I think people are more aware that police will arrest you for drunk driving," Johnson said. "I think that more people are aware that drunk driving will kill people, will kill families. However, the only thing that will stop a habitual drunk driver from driving drunk is incarceration."
Johnson added, "Good people make a mistake. Good people drive drunk. I've personally arrested good people who made the mistake of driving drunk. The difference is that good people don't do it a second time."
Local police departments in the past several years have used grants to pay for high-visibility "saturation" patrols and driver checkpoints to catch DUI offenders. Hosea said those efforts make a difference, "but that's just not enough."
Mudge noted that the arrests and prosecutions have remained relatively steady despite cutbacks in government budgets.
"My prosecutors resolved almost 1,700 DUI cases in 2009. This was done even though I lost two misdemeanor assistants to budget cuts," Mudge said. "My felony prosecutors pitched in even though we also filed more felonies this past year. The credit should go to all these dedicated professionals who have devoted their careers to criminal justice."
