Belmont Holiday DUI Arrests Up from Last Year

Though there were four more DUI arrests in Belmont over the holiday period as compared to the same period in 2010, the county saw a small decrease of arrests from 174 in 2010 to 167 this year.

The New Year’s holiday enforcement period lasted from December 16, 2011 to January 1, 2012.

Although some Bay Area locations saw overall increases in the number of people arrested, others reported drops in DUI arrests, which bucks the statewide trend announced by the California Highway Patrol Monday that DUI driving arrests were up and traffic deaths were down compared to last year's numbers.  

Agency DUI Arrests - 2011 DUI Arrests - 2010 CHP 53 73 San Mateo 23 16 Redwood City 17 15 San Bruno 11 3 Daly City 10 6 South San Francisco 9 11 Burlingame 6 4 East Palo Alto 6 4 Pacifica 6 4 Foster City 5 4 Menlo Park 5 5 Belmont 4 0 Atherton 3 2 Colma 3 2 Millbrae 3 8 San Mateo County Sheriff's Office 3 13 Brisbane 0 2 Broadmoor 0 2 Hillsborough 0 0 Half Moon Bay Under Sheriff's Office's jurisdiction 4 TOTAL 167 174

Statewide, CHP officers arrested 1,181 drivers on suspicion of DUI, up from 961 the year before, for the period between 6 p.m. Dec. 30 and 11:59 p.m. Jan. 1.

CHP officers reported two fatalities and 195 DUI arrests on Bay Area roads, compared to five deaths and 140 DUI arrests the year before -- a 39 percent increase in arrests.         

The Avoid the 8 campaign announced Tuesday that police and CHP officers made 129 DUI arrests in San Francisco during the 17-day enforcement period beginning Dec. 16, up from last year's 100 arrests.

No alcohol-related traffic deaths were reported in San Francisco, and the last DUI fatality in the city occurred in 2007, San Francisco police traffic Capt. Al Casciato said Tuesday.         

However, in Santa Clara County, 75 fewer people were arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs during this year's holiday crackdown compared to 2010, representing a 13 percent decrease in arrests.     

From 12:01 a.m. Dec. 16 to midnight Jan. 1, officers from various law enforcement agencies in the Santa Clara County arrested 482 people. In 2010, there were 557 DUI arrests during the same period.         

--Bay City News, Stacie Chan contributed to this report

Related Topics: 2012, CHP, Crime, Dui Arrests, and New Year's