The number of individuals issued DUI citations dropped during the COVID-19 shutdown period, both in Jefferson County and state-wide, according to local and state law enforcement officials.
Statewide, the number of DUI citations by the Montana Highway Patrol fell by nearly 20% from the period of March 15 to May 30, according to Sgt. Doug Samuelson, impaired driving section of the Montana Highway Patrol.
The number of citations this year for that period was 361, compared to 451 in 2019, he said.
In Jefferson County, there were eight DUI citations issued for March and April of this year, compared to 15 for the same period last year — a drop of 46%.
The Jefferson County Justice Court reports include citations issued by both the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department and the Montana Highway Patrol.
The Jefferson County Justice Court report for May was not available by press time.
In the effort to curtail the spread of COVID-19 in Montana, Gov. Steve Bullock issued the stay-at-home order beginning March 26, having already ordered schools to close on March 15.
The March 24 stay-at-home order also closed certain on-premises restaurant and beverage establishments. Some of those restrictions, to include bars and restaurants, began to lift on May 4.
Samuelson said that, statewide, it appeared that people were adhering to the stay-at-home order and not driving very much, but there were those who did continue drinking and driving.
“People will drink and drive, do drugs and drive, no matter what,” he said.
Jefferson County Sheriff Craig Doolittle said the number of calls from other people about potential drunk drivers didn’t necessarily go down, but citations did. Not all observations of a potential DUI ends in a citation, he said.
There was less traffic and less people on the roads, and during that time, the bars were closed, said Dolittle as a possible explanation.
“That was the least amount of traffic I’ve seen,” said Doolittle of the period during the shutdown, adding that, at the same time, stores were still open, so people could take alcohol home.
Samuelson said that the number of citations issued after April 27, when restrictions began to lift, to May 30, did go up.
During that time in 2019, there were 158 citations, compared to 194 for the same period this year, he said.
Maybe people got back in their cars when the stay-at-home order was lifted because they were tired of being in their houses, said Samuelson as a possible explanation.
Jefferson County Prevention Specialist and DUI Task Force Coordinator Barb Reiter said that any time the number of DUIs can be reduced is good.
“It’s promising, it’s hopeful,” she said.
However, the number of citations issued also depends on other factors, such as how many troopers and deputies are on the road and how conscious they are of those driving while under the influence, she added.
