I recently came across some statistics about DUI arrests in York County:

York County ranks seventh in Pa. DUI arrests

York County had one of the highest rates of DUI arrests in the state from 2008-10.

But authorities aren’t sure whether that means the number of people who decided to drive under the influence is up or if police are getting better and more vigilant at tracking down offenders.

See the troubling thing with arrest numbers is they don’t tell the whole story.  For example if  police officer A makes 100 DUI arrests of which 60 resulted in convictions while officer B made 50 DUI arrests in which 48 resulted in convictions,  who is the better officer?  If you go by just arrest numbers, then officer A.  This why arrest statistics can be very misleading.

Another aspect to take into consideration is today there are more DUI focused patrols and DUI checkpoints in PA than ever before.  One of the problems with this approach is officers are “geared up” to make DUI arrests and this can lead to biased judgment calls and higher frequency of false arrests.  Drowsy and clumsy drivers end up getting charged with DUIs because that is what the officers on those patrols are psychologically set to look for.

DUI is a problem that effects many lives and has many victims.  There are those who are injured or killed in DUI related accidents and their loved ones and also those who are falsely arrested for DUI.  In both cases you have innocent people who lives have been shattered needlessly and senselessly.  My only wish is that we could use law enforcement practices that protect innocent citizens from both outcomes: being a victim of  a DUI accident and being a victim of a false DUI arrest.

If you are a victim of a false DUI arrest, please call the PA DUI attorneys at The McShane Firm for a free case consultation at 1-866-MCSHANE.

Justin McShane

PA DUI attorney Justin J. McShane is the President/CEO of The McShane Firm, LLC - Pennsylvania's top criminal law and DUI law firm. He is the highest rated DUI attorney in PA as rated by Avvo.com. Justin McShane is a double Board certified attorney. He is the first and so far the only Pennsylvania attorney to achieve American Bar Association recognized board certification in DUI defense from the National College for DUI Defense, Inc. He is also a Board Certified Criminal Trial Advocate by the National Board of Trial Advocacy, a Pennsylvania Supreme Court Approved Agency.