Citing extra patrols, DPS reports DWI arrests drop 31% during Labor Day campaign

Rebecca Omastiak
[MGN Images]

Driving while intoxicated (DWI) arrests were down 31% from Aug. 20 through Sept. 6 and the Minnesota Department of Public Safety (DPS) cited extra patrols during its "Labor Day DWI campaign."

In a report issued Wednesday, the DPS stated officers, deputies and troopers arrested 1,147 drivers for DWI, compared with 1,649 arrests during the same period in 2020.

Additionally, there were 130 move-over citations issued during the campaign’s timeframe, compared with 294 during the same timeframe in 2020.

Combined, the Minnesota State Patrol east and west metro divisions made 84 DWI arrests during the extra patrol campaign in the Twin Cities metro area. The St. Paul Police Department made the second-most arrests at 30. The Shakopee Police Department made 25 DWI arrests, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office made 17 and the Coon Rapids Police Department made 15.

Outside of the Twin Cities metro, the Rochester Police Department made the most arrests during the campaign at 40. The Red Lake Police Department and Wright County Sheriff’s Office each made 23 arrests, the state patrol’s Rochester division made 18, the Duluth Police Department made 16 and the Mankato DPS Police Department made 15.

Meanwhile, the DPS reports that, from June through August, officers across the state cited 6,611 drivers for DWI, compared with 6,243 during the same period in 2020 and 7,773 during that timeframe in 2019.

The DPS’s Office of Traffic Safety reported 327 deaths on Minnesota roads in 2021 compared with 258 reported during the same timeframe in 2020, a 27% increase.

To date, the DPS reports 80 people have died in alcohol-related road incidents compared with 98 in 2020 and 80 in 2019.

To prevent alcohol-related road incidents, the DPS advises the following:

  • Plan for a safe ride. Designate a sober driver, use an alternate transportation option, or stay at the location of the celebration.
  • Offer to be a designated driver or offer to be available to pick up a friend or family member.
  • If you see someone who is impaired try to get behind the wheel of a vehicle, sort out a safe ride for that person.
  • Wear your seatbelt.
  • Report impaired driving. Call 911 when witnessing and be prepared to provide the location, license plate number and observed behavior.

More than 300 Minnesota law enforcement agencies participated in the "Labor Day DWI campaign," according to the DPS.