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IDAHO STATE POLICE NEWS RELEASE
District 1 Patrol 615 West Wilbur Ave. Coeur d'Alene, ID 83815
(208) 209-8620
For Immediate Release: 11/03/2020 12:30 PM
Please direct questions to the District Office
24 DUI arrests from the North Idaho DUI Task Force Halloween weekend;
Troopers: About half of DUI drivers located thanks to citizen calls.
Idaho State Police Troopers noticed two trends during operations of the North Idaho DUI Task Force this past Halloween weekend; first, a notable percentage of DUI drivers with excessively high blood alcohol levels; and second, a large percentage of DUI drivers located thanks to calls from other drivers.
"We work hard to let the public know we're out there and exactly what we're doing, which is looking to get impaired drivers off the road. It's very helpful to see the public support us in that." Said ISP Sgt. Justin Klitch.
The North Idaho DUI Task Force is made up of members from the Idaho State Police, Kootenai County Sheriff's Office, and the Coeur d'Alene, Post Falls, Rathdrum, and Spirit Lake Police Departments.
For Kootenai County, Friday night, October 30 through early Sunday, November 1, the North Idaho DUI Task Force patrols resulted in the following charges;
- 24 DUI arrests
- 5 charged with Excessive DUI, which is a blood alcohol level (BAC) of .20 or higher. In Idaho, it is illegal to drive with a BAC of .08 or more;
- 1 DUI involved a driver under the influence of drugs.
- 1 Injury to a child;
- 1 Minor in possession;
- 2 Open container;
- 6 Misdemeanor drug offense;
- 4 Arrests for outstanding warrants.
Troopers say two other statistics are most gratifying:
- 50% - Estimated percentage of DUI drivers located thanks to reports from other drivers;
- 0 - Zero serious or fatal injury crashes during the Halloween weekend.
"It wasn't that long ago that North Idaho had a very high rate of alcohol-related crashes and local families were being torn apart by it. Today, the rate of alcohol-related crashes in North Idaho has fallen considerably, and we know more families are whole because of that."
Sgt. Klitch credits the enforcement work of the North Idaho DUI Task Force, the involvement of the team's Drug Recognition Experts, and the proactive education the team provides for helping lower the rate of alcohol-related crashes in North Idaho. He's also quick to point out community support for safer roadways.
"We've seen community support for the task force noticeably increase over the three years it's been in existence. We also see residents supporting each other by finding sober, designated drivers, taxis, and rideshares. It's a community effort and it's making a difference." Said Sgt Klitch.
The North Idaho DUI Task Force was established in 2017. During task force operations, there has yet to be a fatal alcohol-related crash in Kootenai County, and the troopers and officers hope to keep it that way. According to national statistics, during Halloween nights from 2013 - 2017, 42% of those killed were in traffic crashes that involved at least one drunk driver.
Funding for extra traffic safety patrols is provided by a grant from the Idaho Transportation Department Office of Highway Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
