Problems And Solutions In DWI Enforcement Systems

 This report documents the results of a study aimed at identifying where and how alcohol-impaired drivers slip through the cracks in the criminal justice system. It also suggests potential fixes to close those loopholes. The report is based on information obtained through telephone discussions with law enforcement officials in 11 jurisdictions; detailed case studies of Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC)-law enforcement methods and problems in three jurisdictions; and input from a panel of experts experienced in BAC-law enforcement procedures and methods. The study identified 28 significant problems in enforcing BAC-limit laws and traced them to their most common causes. These problems degrade the ability of the police to find DWI suspects, confirm suspects as DWI, and process suspects more quickly. The problems also degrade the ability of prosecutors to charge and obtain convictions of DWI defendants and the ability of judges to impose appropriate sanctions on persons convicted of DWI. Types of recommended fixes for these problems included expanded training programs for police officers, prosecutors, judges, and administrative hearing officers; new or modified procedures for catching and processing suspected DWIs, adjudicating DWI cases, and sanctioning DWI offenders; additional equipment, facilities, and personnel for agencies involved in enforcing BAC laws; additional funding to support the operation of these agencies; new or modified laws on the conduct of criminal and administrative adjudicative proceedings; and focused public information programs to gain public support for the operation of BAC-law enforcement agencies. This document can be accessed in both HTML and PDF formats from the table of contents. References, 53 figures, 8 tables, appendix