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Show DU I busts declining By SCOTT SUMMERILL FARMINGTON The Davis County Sheriff's Department reports a marked decline in the number of DUI arrests made from two years ago. According to Chief Deputy Bud Cox, DUI arrests for the department in 1989 totaled 1 16, down from 140 in 1988. As of July 1990, there have been 57 DUI arrests made by the department. , The figures show an average of 11.6 DUI arrests per month in 1988, 9.6 in 1989 and, if the trend continues, con-tinues, 8.1 arrests per month this year. "We've really targeted that area of enforcement in the past few years," Cox said. "People are becoming more aware of it too. They aren't drinking as much before they drive so they don't show the erratic driving patterns, and many people simply won't drive when they've been drinking." Along with an overall increase in enforcement and an apparently more responsible pubUc attitude toward drinking and driving, the Arrive Alive program, now entering its third year, may have helped bring br-ing the numbers down. The Arrive Alive program is sponsored by the federal government govern-ment and focuses on enhancing enforcement en-forcement of DUI, speeding, seat belt and child restraint laws by putting put-ting more officers on the street. Under the program, an officer can work a shift outside their regular schedule for a flat time-and-a-half rate, with a maximum of four extra shifts per month. Only one officer can pull an extra shift at a time within a participating department depart-ment There are 13 participating departments in Davis County, which could put a maximum of 13 additional officers on patrol at any time. Participating departments are required re-quired to provide a 13 percent match mat-ch 'in kind' to federal funds. That means each department is required to spend an amount equal to 1 3 percent per-cent of the funds received on program-related expenses, such as administrative, ad-ministrative, transportation or advertising costs. Cox said four of the cities in the county had not joined the program when it began in Oct. 1988. But, "after seeing the results of the first year, they all joined up," he said. Now, every city in the county with its own police department is participating in the Arrive Alive program. Cox reported more than 29,000 additional contacts have been made throughout the county as a direct result of the program, which translates to a substantial increase in enforcement capability. In addition, addi-tion, the public has become more receptive to seat belt and other safety safe-ty regulations. "Much of the support comes from kids," Cox said. "They get in the car and tell their parents to buckle up." |