The Washington State Liquor Control Board keeps an interesting statistic in order to help cops find drunk drivers.
Every law enforcement officer around the state asks a questions of those cited for driving under the influence: “Where were you drinking?”
The answers are tallied, and some of them may surprise you.
I’ve posted below a list of the top ten bars in Kitsap in 2006 who’ve been mentioned by intoxicated drivers after their arrests, according to the liquor control board. I have also listed the top five bars in Kitsap thus far in 2007, as well as for the years 2005, 2004 and 2003.
Top Ten Kitsap Bars for DUI in 2006 (state ranking) # of
DUIs
1. Romeo’s Bar and Grill, Kitsap Way, Bremerton (1) 64
2. Suquamish Clearwater Casino, Suquamish Way, NK (11) 30
3. Horse and Cow Bar and Grill, Northlake Way, CK (18) 28
4. The End Zone, Bethel Road, SK (64) 17
5. Front Street Bar and Grill, Front Street, Poulsbo (74) 15
6. Mako’s Bar and Grill, Bay Street, Port Orchard (95) 14
7. Bremerton Lanes and Casino, Bruenn Avenue,Bremerton(103) 13
8. The 19th Hole, Erlands Point Road, CK (139) 11
9. Our Place Pub and Eatery, Silverdale Way, Silverdale (149) 10
10. All Star Lanes and All Star Casino, Silverdale Way, CK (176) 9
Top Five Bars for DUI in 2007
1. Romeo’s Bar and Grill, Kitsap Way, Bremerton 11
2. Mako’s Bar and Grill, Bay Street, Port Orchard 8
3. Suquamish Clearwater Casino, Suquamish Way, North Kitsap 5
4. The Point Casino, Salish Lane, Kingston 4
5. McCloud’s, Perry Avenue, Bremerton 4
Top Five Bars for DUI in 2005
1. Romeo’s Bar and Grill, Kitsap Way, Bremerton 53
2. The End Zone, Bethel Road, South Kitsap 27
3. Horse and Cow Bar and Grill, Bremerton 24
4. Suquamish Clearwater Casino, Suquamish Way, North Kitsap 21
5. The House of Rock, Riddell Road, Central Kitsap 18
Top Five Bars for DUI in 2004
1. Romeo’s Bar and Grill, Kitsap Way, Bremerton 32
2. Horse and Cow Bar and Grill, Bremerton 25
3. The 19th Hole, Erlands Point Road, CK 23
4. Mako’s Bar and Grill, Bay Street, Port Orchard 22
5. Suquamish Clearwater Casino, Suquamish Way, NK 21
Top Five Bars for DUI in 2003
1. Horse and Cow Bar and Grill, Bremerton 47
2. The End Zone, Bethel Road, South Kitsap 36
3. The 19th Hole, Erlands Point Road, CK 28
4. Front Street Bar and Grill, Front Street, Poulsbo 27
5. Out Place Pub and Eatery, Silverdale Way, CK (tie) 21
5. Mako’s Bar and Grill, Bay Street, Port Orchard (tie) 21
The list helps to explain some of the driving behavior I have seen on Kitsap Way, Highway 3 and Highway 305.
Even if these places overserve, why don’t their customers “get it?” When you can’t talk right, can’t walk right, everyone looks good to you and your cheeks are numb, call a cab or a relative or a friend.
Why not fine the top bars producing the most drunk drivers during the year?
Are the repeat drunk drivers noted?
If so, why are they allowed a driver’s license after the second DUI?
Sharon O’Hara
Doesn’t it stand to reason that, by keeping statistics of DUI sources and having law enforcement focus more on these establishments, artificially inflated statistics will be created? I’m not trying to discuss enforcement tactics or personal decisions here, I just want to point out the flawed statistical data that will probably have repercussions for businesses in Kitsap County.
Law enforcement wouldn’t focus on any establishment…they would do their job…stop DUI’s…hopefully before they slam into innocent people…. and turn in the information…just as they turn in the tickets served.
The point is a drunk is impaired by alcohol…judgement is gone…how can they determine, as a sober person would, they are incapable of driving?
Fining the establishments turning out the most DUI’s each year SHOULD awaken the owners to be more vigilant
Fining the judge refusing to rescind the drivers license of a person caught driving DUI a second time might awaken them too..
Sharon O’Hara
DUI’s are easy to get. It does not take a lot to put someone at the .08 limit. I once heard an opinion that makes complete sense to me. As in many other countries there is zero tolerance. This would not leave guess work up to responsible drinkers. I know first hand. I had 2 Margaritas at a late lunch and four hours later got a DUI. I felt fine. And still to this day I question how I could have possibly been over the limit.
Tony G,
I agree that the statistics will be flawed because enforcement will be concentrated around the previously identified places. Also, will the drunks be telling the whole truth? Maybe a given drunk had two beers at home, then a drink or two at a friend’s home, then a few at a bar or two. When he/ she says where they were drinking, was it the first place or the last place or the place with the most generous pour?
I just hope that none of them run into anyone, especially me or mine.
I agree with Cean. To fine the establishments on the word of someone who has been charged with a DUI would be in itself an injustice. Many regulars of bars will protect their bar and lie.
Not only are the statistics flawed, but the methods used by law enforcement are flawed as well. My car was pulled over in the area of Romeo’s back in August. The officer stated that we were stopped because of a burned out headlight, which was a flat out lie. When questioned about the headlight, the officer simply shrugged shoulders. I would be interested to know how many of the DUIs in Kitsap county were legal stops.
I believe it would be a good idea to send undercover liquor control board or police detectives to some of the more “popular” bars and observe customers and servers for over serving.
Since I’ve seen it myself a few times, and I am only an inexperienced customer, I am sure that a trained inspector could determine whether over serving was happening. A camera and a recorder would be useful.
The fines for alcohol in this state are crazy. Why should a business owner(usually a small business owner) who employees someone that holds a State servers card, pay a fine for the employee’s crime. All bartenders in Washington are required to hold a State servers permit. The liquor control board also issues cards to people that complete a class, offered free of charge to persons selling alcohol. When an employee either over serves or sells to a minor This is their own crime out of the control of the business owner. Yet the business owners cost are off the charts in comparison to their employees. It would be a different story if the State did not license these servers or were not the educators. Maybe the employer for the teachers of these classes should be fined as much as the business owners. Oh I forgot they are employed by the State of Washington!
Even the Liquor Control Board says that these stats should be taken with a grain of salt. People often lie or they just don’t answer the question. It is just another tool in the box along with a whole lot of other tools that Liquor Control uses. The Department of Licensing is the one who decides whose license is suspended or revoked, not the judge in DUI cases. I wish it were up to judges to decide who gets to keep their license after a history of DUIs, however people still continue to drink and drive whether they have a license or not.
So if you think that TIPS instructors should be fined when the employee serves a minor or over serves someone, than do you think that Budweiser, Gallo, Jack Daniels etc. should also be fined when someone kills another on the road after consuming their product? Or does it really come down to personal responsibility?
So I am a bartender/waitress i have not worked since we moved to bremerton with the exception of 1 week that i did at a bremerton establishment that was not on this list , one week was all i could do due to the fact that i refused to over serve or put mixed drinks in to go cups so I decided to quit. I don’t know where the class is “free” but I paid 40.00 for my class 12 permit I am aware that serving, a minor, over service, as well as serving a noticeably drunk person can get me a fine $500 or more I am not willing to take that chance. It is good business ,to the customers to get a good strong drink. It is as well, good for the bartender bigger ,better tips everyone in town knows where you can go to get messed up and not cut off I cant believe none of these places or bartenders have been fined by the liquor control board. The LCB agents used to come in often
(Mr McCallister, and Mr Fish) to most of the places in town (snohomish county) to see all was going well and legal. why aren’t they doing it here , I can bet you one trip to any of these bars you would find at least one person being served that did NOT need another drink.
Before we even think about fines, we need to remember two things; depending on a person’s size, anything more than one drink in an hour could be considered over served. Also, not everyone who has more than one drink is going to drive. It would be a shame for a business or employee to get fined for serving more than one drink to a person who has no intention of driving.
TJ, What I am saying is that the State issues permits for servers after approved training. So why should small business owners be fined huge amounts and the licensor not be accountable. I do not really believe either the trainer of business should be fined for a crime they did not commit. The person that either overserves or sells to a minor fine are chicken feed in comparison to a business owners.
A breathalyzer test is usually the determining factor if a person is drunk … not the number of drinks, or size of the person.
I once knew a woman about 5’6″, regular weight for her size… she could drink most men under the table, match them drink for drink.
She ‘appeared’ sober and could walk…the fellows weren’t sober and couldn’t walk.
I’ve never understood why…
Sharon O’Hara