By Marc Munroe Dion
Herald News Staff Reporter
Thu Jan 03, 2008, 10:26 PM EST
Somerset - Did the local over-revelers get scared or smart or both?
That’s the question in Somerset, where Police Chief Joseph C. Ferreira said the department did not see the sad spate of drunk driving arrests police departments expect during the holiday season.
Somerset recorded only one arrest for operating under the influence of alcohol during Christmas week.
“They’re all staying home,” Ferreira said when asked why there was only one arrest. “That’s good.”
Like many communities, Somerset puts extra police patrols on during the high points of the holiday season, hoping to cut down on the number of drunk drivers. Ferreira said those patrols were out on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day as well as on New Year’s Eve.
Recently, the department received $7000 in state traffic and endorsement grants.
The $7000 paid for extra patrols during Christmas and New Years week.
Ferreira estimates that the $7000 can pay for five “mobilizations” per year at $1400 each. The money goes toward police overtime.
Not all of the grant money is spent on drunk driving patrols. Some of the money is used for extra patrols intended to enforce the wearing of seat belts.
According to Ferreira, the department’s lack of drunk drivers to arrest held up well through New Year’s Day. Police reported two drunk driving arrests from New Year’s Eve through New Year’s Day.
A drive through Somerset early on New Year’s Eve showed capacity crowds in many liquor store parking lots, not an indication of drunk driving, but certainly a sign that alcohol remains a part of many holiday celebrations.
Ferreira said that, while he didn’t have hard numbers in hand, there have been more arrests for drunk driving in some past years.
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