Law enforcement ends busy holiday enforcement
By JOHN BAGLEY
Pinnacle Staff Writer
While drunk driving arrests are down in Gilroy and Hollister
this holiday season, the city of Morgan Hill as well as the
Gilroy/Hollister California Highway Patrol station has seen an
increase in the number of DUI arrests since December 13.
While drunk driving arrests are down in Gilroy and Hollister this holiday season, the city of Morgan Hill as well as the Gilroy/Hollister California Highway Patrol station has seen an increase in the number of DUI arrests since December 13.
The news is surprising to many local law enforcement officials.
“With all of the storms and the degree to which all of the agencies have actively pursued the problem, it’s surprising that the numbers are fairly high in South County,” said Vic Heman, a spokesman for Avoid The 13. “In the last 20 years, drunk driving has substantially been reduced in this state, but there’s always going to be drunk drivers out there no matter what you do.”
The annual countywide campaign to aggressively stop drunk driving, Avoid The 13, was launched this year on December 13 and ran through January 1.
The program included increased policing of the roadways, random checkpoints and alcohol awareness programs that addressed the dangers of operating a vehicle while intoxicated.
During last year’s 18-day Avoid The 13 campaign, the Gilroy Police Department arrested 42 drunk drivers. As of December 30, Gilroy had arrested only 16 people and served warrants on seven previous DUI convictions.
In the city of Hollister on four people had been arrested for drunk driving through Dec. 30.
“We say ‘designate or incarcerate,'” said Gilroy Police Corporal Rosa Quinones. “And we have worked hard at getting that message across. We feel that the numbers are down because people are more aware of what happens if they get stopped for drunk driving.”
In the State of California the legal blood-alcohol limit is .08. Drivers who are stopped and are found to have a blood alcohol level of .08 or higher will be arrested and receive a DUI.
While each case varies, typically on the first offense, a motorist’s license is suspended for six months. In addition, the driver is responsible for vehicle tow fees, bail, insurance and court costs, which are a minimum of $3,000.
“It’s just not worth it,” said Quinones. “If you are out drinking have someone else drive or call for a ride.”
In addition to assigning special DUI units to concentrate on drunk drivers, Quinones said that the local outreach programs were very effective too in Gilroy’s low DUI numbers over the holidays.
On Dec. 15, the city, along with the highway patrol and the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Department, held an informational fair for any member of the public who wanted to learn more about alcohol-related issues.
Although it’s not exact science for catching intoxicated motorists, there are telltale signs.
“They’re driving slower or faster than surrounding traffic,” said Quinones. “They often step on the brakes for no reason, drive with their headlights out or drive with a turn signal on.”
While the effort was no less than Gilroy’s, in contrast, the city of Morgan Hill saw its DUI arrest numbers rise from a year ago. As of Dec. 29, the Morgan Hill police arrested 47 people for drunk driving and 42 people last year.
Similarly, the Gilroy/Hollister CHP station arrested 25 people this year compared to 33 last year.
When the final numbers are tallied, the local CHP station, like Morgan Hill, is expected to surpass last year’s total.
Terry Mayes, a public affairs officer with the Gilroy/Hollister CHP, attributes a number of things to the rise in drunk driving arrests.
“It’s sad to say but it seems as though the entire trend is increasing statewide,” she said. “Most agencies just don’t have enough manpower to enforce it, people don’t seem as cognizant about drunk driving and a lot of people are out of work. That may add to the problem. Fortunately, there have been no fatalities in our area that have been alcohol related this season. I guess when we are arresting them we’re arresting them before they crash, which is a positive.”
Typically, Morgan Hill has seen more arrests over the stretch annually than Gilroy. For that reason, when Morgan Hill Police Department Corporal Jerry Neumayer learned of the seven arrests last weekend that vaulted the small city that’s more known for its small shops and Thomas Kinkade Art Gallery past last year’s arrest totals, he wasn’t surprised.
“We really step it up this time of year,” said Neumayer. “We’re always high here. I think it’s because we enforce it strongly and people have to drive through here when they come to the South County from San Jose.”
