Naperville Police Department Continues to Lead State in DUI Arrests

Naperville continues to be a top-ranking community when it comes to arrests for driving under the influence, though the number of arrests made in 2011 declined slightly from the previous year.

A survey released Tuesday ranked the No. 2 in the state for arrests of impaired drivers. Rockford was No. 1 and had the largest number of arrests with 686, according to the survey.

For the last 22 years, the Alliance Against Intoxicated Motorists has conducted a survey of Illinois police departments to determine how many DUI arrests were made. Because of its size, Chicago is in its own category.

While Naperville ranked No. 2, the number of arrests made did decline slightly. In 2011, the department made 622 arrests, down 7.3 percent from , according to the Alliance’s survey. 

“There are several grants throughout the course of the year that address intoxicated drivers,” said Naperville Police Sgt. Gregg Bell. “The department takes a progressive stance in DUI detection and we actively enforce infractions related to DUI.”

With a grant from the Illinois Department of Transportation, the Alliance was able to survey nearly 700 police agencies with 76 percent responding, according to a news release from the Alliance Against Intoxicated Motorists.

“More DUI arrests in a municipality or county do not necessarily mean there are more drunk drivers in these locations than in other Illinois communities," AAIM Executive Director Charlene Chapman said in a news release. “It does indicate a more active enforcement effort targeting DUI by those police departments compared to other departments.”

Naperville may have been ranked second for arrests, but Itasca was tops when it came to arrest rates, with 11.48 per officer, according to the survey.

The Alliance Against Intoxicated Motorists is an Illinois-only citizen activist group founded in 1982 by victims of drunken driving. The Alliance’s mission revolves around prevention, victim advocacy and legislation. A grant from the Illinois Department of Transportation funded the survey.

Naperville has consistently placed in the top five for DUI arrests, according to the Alliance. In 2006, the city ranked No. 1, later dropping to No. 2 in 2007 and 2008. In 2009, Naperville ranked third for DUI arrests and in 2010 ranked No. 2.