Tag Archives: DUI

Crime stats: Murder in Washington increased 27 percent in 2012

Graph by WASPC.
Graph by WASPC.

The yearly tabulation of crime stats, courtesy of the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs, is out. The Crime in Washington 2012 report is chock-full of trends, some good and some bad. Here’s some of those that caught my eye initially:

  • There is a murder every 2.5 days in Washington state. And the number of people murdered has gone up from 159 in 2011 to 203 in 2012 (That’s a 27 percent increase).
  • Crime occurred most frequently in the state in September; it occurred the least in February.
  • Property crimes: $205,931,711 in property was stolen in 2012; of that, law enforcement recovered $16,931,651.
  • Though it is now legal for an adult 21 and older in Washington state to possess up to an ounce of pot, police in Washington seized 762,809 grams of pot in 2012. By comparison, the two next highest drugs seized were meth (25,418 grams) and heroin (24,824).
  • Arrests: 155,916 people were arrested in Washington in 2012. Of those, 30,924 were between 20 and 24 years old, making it the age group with the greatest quantity of arrests.
  • Of all those arrests, almost a fifth — 18.5 percent — were for DUI.

To read the full report for yourself, click here. I’ll be dissecting our local numbers for a story at kitsapsun.com in the days ahead.

 

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DUI numbers up following ‘Drive Hammered, Get Nailed’ campaign

Fifty-nine motorists got busted for DUI between Aug. 19 and Sept. 5, when cops were out en masse thanks to federal grant money. 

The Washington Traffic Safety Commission funded the extra patrols during those dog days of summer because typically, that’s when the most alcohol fueled deaths on Washington’s highways occur. Around the state, officers wrote a total of 1,824 DUI citations.

From the Commission:

“In Kitsap County, the Bainbridge Island, Bremerton, Port Orchard and Poulsbo Police Departments, the Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office and the Washington State Patrol participated in the extra DUI patrols, with the support of the Kitsap County Target Zero Task Force. The extra patrols were funded by a grant from the Washington Traffic Safety Commission.

More than 40 percent of the DUI traffic deaths occur in Washington during the summer months. That is why these extra patrols are so important and are helping to make a difference. According to preliminary 2010 data, the number of DUI traffic deaths decreased by 16.5 percent compared to the previous five year average.”

 

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Bainbridge parents take to Facebook to stop teen drunken driving

Some Bainbridge Islanders have formed a Facebook page in response to a likely DUI crash on Bainbridge a few weeks back, and the outpouring of community support for it is quite impressive.

Dubbed, “Won’t Ask, Won’t Tell,” the page aims to provide teens a place they can look for phone numbers of adults who will give them a ride home, regardless of whether intoxicants were involved.

Here’s how the founders describe the site:

“We want everyone in our island community to be safe. We want teens in our community to know that whenever they find themselves in a potentially dangerous situation involving alcohol, drugs and driving – or potential date abuse – they can call any one of us – or text – anytime, and we pledge to come and get you and take you home. We won’t ask you why, and we won’t tell your parents. We just want you to be safe.”

More than 700 people had already hit the like button on the page and the list of phone numbers is quite lengthy. Stories about it have also appeared in the island’s Review and on KOMO.

I’m curious to know how people are feeling about such an effort. Do you think it could spread elsewhere?

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State Patrol: DUI, Speed Collisions Down in Kitsap County

Here’s some good news about our local highways. Both DUI and speed-related collisions were down in the first half of 2010 as compared to 2009.

Troopers investigated 27 DUI crashes between January and June in 2010; last year, there was 38 during the same time period.

There were 92 speed-related crashes on state highways in the first half of 2010; that’s down from 112 in 2009.

Troopers also pointed out in a press release that while Kitsap County’s residents wear their seat belts 98 percent of the time, they still wrote up 1,414 tickets for that offense in the first half of 2010.

There have been 898 drivers stopped for aggressive driving on highways, troopers said. It is worth noting that the state patrol has three unmarked patrol cars that troopers drive looking exclusively to build criminal cases against aggressive drivers. The team of three is known as the Aggressive Driving and Apprehension Team.

Three people have been killed on state highways in the first half of this year; two were killed in the same period, troopers said.

And as for the second half of the year, the state patrol is hopeful that Marsha Masters, who filled the Kitsap County Target Zero manager position, will help coordination of emphasis patrols between the county’s law enforcement agencies. There are ones planned for the upcoming Kitsap County Fair.

And I would be remiss if I didn’t mention cell phone tickets. Troopers wrote in June 155 tickets to drivers for cell phone violations; 10 were written for driving while texting.

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‘Operation Dry Water’ Aims to Curb BUIs

A national emphasis is planned for next weekend to get those boating under the influence — BUI for short — off the water.

Law enforcement agencies in the area with a regular maritime presence are expected to participate June 25-27, according to the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission. They’re calling it “Operation Dry Water.”

The BUI law is basically the same as the DUI law — no driving over a .08 blood alcohol level.

Here’s some tips from the Office of the State Fire Marshal:

“With boating season in full swing, it is important to observe and practice safety afloat. We are offering these boating safety tips, hoping you will have many fun and safe boating experiences,” says State Fire Marshal Charles M. Duffy.

1. Leave Alcohol on Shore: In 2008, alcohol was either a direct or indirect contributing factor in 35 percent of all boating fatalities.

2. Take a Boating Safety Course: More than 70 percent of all reported boating fatalities in 2007 occurred on boats where the operator had not completed a boating safety course. You may even qualify for a reduced insurance rate if you complete a safety course. Contact your local Coast Guard Auxiliary, U.S. Power Squadron chapter or visit www.uscg.mil for more information on courses in your area.

3. File a Float Plan: The U.S. Coast Guard recommends that you always tell a friend or family member where you plan to go and when you will return. Make it a habit before leaving on any boat trip. The proper officials can be notified promptly if you don’t return when expected.

4. Be Weather-Wise: A calm day can quickly turn ugly on the water. Keep an eye out for changing weather conditions and stay on top of the forecast while boating. Promptly heed all weather and storm advisories.

5. Use and Maintain the Right Safety Equipment:

a. Life Jackets and Personal Flotation Devices – State law requires each person on board to have a properly-fitting U.S. Coast Guard approved serviceable life jacket. Also, boats longer than 16 feet must have a throwable Personal Flotation Device.

b. Fire Extinguishers – If your boat has any enclosed compartments or a false floor, you must carry a Coast Guard approved fire extinguisher. Make sure it is charged and accessible.

c. Boat Lights – Always test your boat lights before the boat leaves the dock and carry extra batteries.

d. Emergency Supplies – Keep on board in a floating pouch: maps, flares, and a first aid kit.

e. Anchor – Make sure you have one and can properly use it. Improper anchoring may cause fatal accidents.

6. Designate an Assistant Skipper: Make sure more than one person on board is familiar with all aspects of your boat’s handling, operations, and other boating safety tips. If the primary navigator is injured or incapacitated in any way, it’s important to make sure someone else can follow the proper boating safety rules to get everyone back to shore.

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State Patrol Posts DUI Breath Tests Online

The Washington State Patrol has created an online database of all breath tests given to DUI defendants. You can find the database here.

Go down to the bottom of the page and click “Enter WebDMS.”Then click on “DataMaster search,” and you can browse the records.

It’s not exactly a breeze to search, however. You must know the “DataMaster” code — basically the location of the DUI breath machine — if you want to look up DUI results in a given period. But here’s one that I know: 140051. That’s the DataMaster machine in the Kitsap County jail.

The operator is the officer that made the DUI arrest. If you scroll to the right, “BrAC1” and “BrAC2” are the results of the two tests. Just plop a decimal point in front of the numbers (e.g. 123 becomes .123) and there you have it.

You cannot see defendant’s names here, only dates of birth.

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Keeping Crime Victims in Mind

We’re a week early for National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, but Kitsap County is getting a jump start tonight with the penning of a resolution acknowledging the pain victims go through.

The county commissioners are expected to sign a resolution — which you can read below — that includes some eye-opening statistics on just how far crime goes in affecting people in our community.

Here’s the resolution in full:

“WHEREAS, Victims may suffer emotional, physical, psychological, and financial harm as a result of crime; and

WHEREAS, A just society acknowledges crime’s impact on individuals, families, and communities, and ensures that victims are treated with fairness, dignity, and respect as they interact with the criminal justice system; and

WHEREAS, Treating victims with dignity serves the public interest by engaging victims in the justice system, inspiring respect for public authorities and promoting confidence in public safety; and

WHEREAS, We must continue to work to ensure fair treatment of crime victims by providing protections for child and sexual assault victims, ordering and enforcing victim restitution from offenders, and notifying victims of their right to compensation and services, thereby giving hope to victims that the system and society will work to restore dignity and respect their needs and rights; and

WHEREAS, National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, April 18 – 24, provides an opportunity for us to raise awareness of the foundation of victims’ rights-fairness, dignity, and respect-and to recommit to honoring those values by ensuring that all victims are afforded their legal rights and provided with assistance as they face the financial, physical, and psychological impact of crime; and

WHEREAS, 9 homicides were referred for prosecution last year which include 3 domestic violence homicides and  3 vehicular homicides; and

WHEREAS, 1,410 Driving Under the Influence (DUI) cases, 3 vehicular homicides, and 13 vehicular assaults were referred for prosecution last year. and

WHEREAS, 2,555 Domestic Violence cases were referred for prosecution last year of which 3 were domestic violence homicides, with the YWCA Alive Shelter providing temporary shelter to 55 women and 36 children (providing a total of 3,575 bed nights) and responding to 7,112 crisis, information and referral calls, however turning away 1,432 women and children for lack of space. The YWCA Alive Bainbridge Island/North Kitsap provided services to 150 women and children, and YWCA Alive Legal Advocacy provided services to 1,020 people; and

WHEREAS, 689 Sexual Assaults were referred for prosecution last year (not including  7 pornographic materials cases, and 50 failure to register as sex offender cases).  The Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (SANE) program performed approximately 127 sexual assault exams, and of these about 46 were for children aged 14 and under.  The Kitsap County Sexual Assault Center served 1,344 clients; and of those, 288 were child victims of sexual assault aged 12 and under, 286 were teen victims of sexual assault,  100 were adult victims of sexual assault, and  339 were adult sexual assault survivors; and

WHEREAS, Approximately 4,000 incidents of possible abuse and neglect of Kitsap County children were reported to Child Protective Services (CPS) in 2009 and 1,254 were accepted for investigation; and

WHEREAS, Kitsap County is joining forces with the Kitsap County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, Kitsap Sexual Assault Center, the YWCA, Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), The Domestic Violence Task Force, the Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (SANE), Kitsap Special Sexual Assault Investigations and Victims’ Services (SAIVS), Crime Victims Assistance Center, Families and Friends of Violent Crime Victims, Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office, Washington State Patrol, Port Orchard Police Department, Bremerton Police Department, Poulsbo Police Department, Suquamish Police Department, Bainbridge Island Police Department, Port Gamble S’Klallam Police Department, and concerned citizens throughout Kitsap County, Washington State and America to observe 2010 National Crime Victims’ Rights Week;

NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Kitsap County Board of Commissioners designates the week of April 18-24, 2010, as Kitsap County Crime Victims’ Rights Week; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Kitsap County Board of Commissioners reaffirms a commitment to respect and enforce victims’ rights and address their needs during 2010 Kitsap County Crime Victims’ Rights Week and throughout the year; and

We express our appreciation for those victims and crime survivors who have turned personal tragedy into a motivating force to improve our response to victims of crime and build a more just community.”

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Roadways Were Busier for Troopers in 2009

DUIs, speed, and pretty much everything else had Washington State troopers working harder in Kitsap County in 2009. Krista Hedstrom, our local state patrol spokeswoman, sent me the stats this morning. Among them:

  • DUI related collisions were up 23 percent with 117, compared with 95 in 2008.
  • Speed related collisions were up 10 percent with 273, compared with 248 in 2008.
  • DUI Arrests in Kitsap County were up by 2 percent in 2009. Troopers removed 858 impaired drivers from the roads in Kitsap compared with 839 arrests in 2008.
  • Speed contacts were up 16 percent in 2009. Kitsap troopers contacted 16,788 speeders in 2009, compared with 14,457 in 2008. Out of those contacted, 11 percent more received tickets than in 2008.
  • In addition, there were 247 more drivers contacted who were issued tickets for aggressive driving in Kitsap County than in 2008. In 2009, 2,620 drivers were ticketed for aggressive driving violations, compared with 2,373 in 2008.

In neighboring Mason County, the numbers were actually down:

  • DUI related collisions were down 45 percent with 45, compared with 82 in 2008.
  • Speed related collisions were down 39 percent with 67, as compared with 109 in 2008.

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