Lincoln Police Break DUI Record

The Lincoln Police Department broke a 34 year old record in 2008 for the number of drunk driving arrests.

The long held record was shattered by LPD but they say the new law requiring all DUI offenders to have a ignition interlock in their vehicle will hopefully make this a record they won't be breaking anytime soon.

Back in 1974 the Lincoln Police Department had 3 units made up of 6 officers that arrested 1,992 drunk drivers.

Now with the force 100 officers stronger and almost everyone trained to make DUI stops they arrested 2,167 people for DUI's in 2008.

“I don't think there is anything that a police officer does that has as clear cut of an effect in promoting public safety then arresting a drunk driver, there's just nothing that has an immediate of an impact so to the 152 Lincoln Police Officers who arrested one or more drunk drivers last year, kudos, that's life saving work.”

And while Chief Casady is proud they took that many drunk drivers off the road, he says it's not a record you want to break every year, in fact his goal for 2009 is to see arrests drop.

“I'd like to see the number of drunk driving arrests fall dramatically but I'd like the decline to be not because of less police enforcement rather less drunk driving.”

And the lower number in 2009 will be helped by a new law this year requiring all DUI offenders to blow into an ignition interlock device to confirm they are not intoxicated in order to start their car.

“I'm very supportive of ignition interlocks for people conducted of drunk driving I think that will make a discernable difference in the risks we face out there in the community I think it's a very good thing a really good law.”