A Maryland State Police trooper has broken a state record for the most DUI arrests. His DUI arrest record has equaled or exceeded 100 for the past four years, including 2017. He had already surpassed 100 arrests before the end of the year.
The trooper is part of the seven-member State Police Impaired Driving Reduction Effort (SPIDRE) team. That elite team, which is funded by the state transportation department's Highway Safety Office, was the first of its kind among east coast states when it was established in 2013. It is supported by county police as well. SPIDRE officers have made a total of more than 2,700 DUI arrests.
Anyone who's been charged with suspected DUI may feel like officers enjoy these arrests. However, this trooper says that some of those he has arrested have thanked him for saving their lives, and that's part of what drives him.
He says that he receives a Christmas card every year from one woman he arrested back in 2014. He says she tells him that "I was able to give her something, kind of open her eyes and make her change the way she was living and the way she was operating on a daily basis with the impairment, and she has been clean and sober since."
The trooper also says that he's dealt with too many family members who have lost loved ones in drunk driving crashes. He even keeps photos of some of those victims on the dashboard of his car.
The first response you have when pulled over for suspected DUI probably isn't to add the officer to your Christmas card list. Your primary focus should be on how to deal with this very serious criminal charge. An experienced Maryland DUI attorney can provide guidance and work to protect your rights.
Source: Maryland State Police, "Maryland State Trooper Breaks Record For Number Of DUI Arrests," Dec. 27, 2017