CPOs arrest 27 over Labor Day weekend

SPRINGFIELD – Illinois Department of Natural Resources Conservation Police Officers (CPOs) arrested 14 people for operating under the influence (OUI) on Illinois waters and 13 people for driving under the influence (DUI) on roadways in and around state parks during the recent three day Labor Day holiday weekend.  The patrols were part of an enhanced enforcement effort intended to improve safety at state parks and boat access areas on September 5-7.

Wet weather throughout much of Illinois during parts of the weekend contributed to lower numbers of arrests and incidents this year compared to the same time last year.  Last year during the Labor Day weekend, CPOs made 33 arrests for operating under the influence (OUI) and nine arrests for driving under the influence (DUI) on Aug. 30-Sept. 1, 2008.

“The key to calling this holiday weekend a success was that no fatalities or serious injuries occurred,” said Illinois Conservation Police Chief Rafael Gutierrez.  “Our officers removed 26 impaired individuals from the water and roads making these areas safer for the general public and that’s always our goal.”

The Conservation Police enforcement detail was made possible in part thanks to $150,000 in state grant funding to combat motor vehicle DUI and boater OUI offenses.  The grant funding was provided by the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) Division of Traffic Safety. 

There have been 25 boating related fatalities on Illinois waters this Federal Fiscal Year (FFY), which runs October 1 through September 30.  That’s
12 more than the previous FFY in Illinois.
 
There were 1,034 traffic fatalities in Illinois in 2008 according to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) statistics.