ST. HELENS, St. Helens police arrested 12 drivers for driving under the influence of intoxicants and issued 89 traffic citations and 139 warnings during August and September, the city said in a news release.
The two months overlapped with two national traffic safety campaigns the department took part in: Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over, which targets impaired driving, and Somebody Loves You – Buckle Up, which targets seat belt use. Both are run with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
The campaigns paid for extra patrol hours. During that grant-funded overtime, officers made four DUII arrests and wrote five citations, according to the release. The rest of the two-month totals came from regular patrols.
The department said the campaigns “were successful in increasing public highway safety.”
“This year’s Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over and Somebody Loves You – Buckle Up campaigns were effective,” St. Helens police Sgt. Jose Castilleja said in the release. “Through our enforcement and education efforts, we helped keep community members safe and reminded all drivers of the importance of driving sober, slowing down, buckling up, and driving safely. Issuing tickets was not our goal, but it was a way to remind people of the importance of traffic safety.”
The release did not say how the totals compare with other months or prior years.
In Oregon, driving under the influence of intoxicants is a Class A misdemeanor that covers alcohol and other intoxicants, including controlled substances and inhalants. A first conviction carries a minimum $1,000 fine and a one-year license suspension under state law. Many first-time offenders can instead enter a one-year diversion program, which requires a guilty or no-contest plea, a substance screening, any treatment the screening calls for and no intoxicant use for the year. Drivers who complete it can ask the court to dismiss the charge. Diversion isn’t available to anyone with a DUII conviction or diversion in the past 15 years, anyone who injured another person, or commercial license holders.
The St. Helens Police Department has 21 sworn officers, according to the city’s website.
Questions about the campaigns go to Castilleja at jcastilleja@sthelensoregon.gov.