EXCLUSIVE: Worcester Cops MIA On OUIs

Friday, May 04, 2012

Jaclyn Cashman, GoLocalWorcester News Editor

Budget cuts are resulting in far fewer drunk driving arrests and speeding tickets in Worcester. Advocates against drunk driving say the city is putting drivers at risk by not having enough police on the roads to protect drivers.

Through a records request, GoLocalWorcester found that police are pulling over 9,000 fewer drivers for speeding in a five-year period. In 2007, Worcester Police issued 12,058 speeding tickets and last year only wrote tickets to 3,351 drivers. During that same time period, police made 90 drivers for suspicion of driving drunk, while in 2007 people arrested 148 people.

Worcester Police Chief Gary Gemme told GoLocalWorcester, “We are well aware of the gradual decrease in speeding citations issued. Primarily, this is a direct result of staff reductions within the department. Currently, we have 17 officers assigned to the Worcester Police Department Traffic Division, compared to 30 officers in 2007. As a result, we have had to prioritize our enforcement by: issuing crosswalk citations, enforcing violations in school zones and investigating fatalities. All sworn personnel are authorized to issue citations.”

Worcester police staff reduction

Chief Gemme pointed out that through some enterprise policing the department has been able to still keep Worcester streets safe. Gemme said, “The number of citations issued continues to drop because of the demand for other police service. We have seen a reduction in fatalities and motor vehicle accidents in general because of our policing strategies. Traffic safety involves enforcement, along with educating the public and voluntary compliance by motorists to obey traffic laws.”

David DeIuliis, Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) spokesman, said these budget cuts are putting drivers at risk and it is counter productive to MADD’s hard work. DeIuliis said, “It doesn’t matter if we help to get great laws passed on Beacon Hill, if we don’t have the men in blue enforcing those laws. It becomes a moot point. It is very frustrating when decisions are being made to cut back on traffic enforcement.”

DeIuliis said in 2010, there were 115 drunk driving fatalities in Massachusetts, which represents 35 percent of the motor vehicle deadly crashes. DeIuliis said, “If we had people dying any other way we would find a way to bring it to an end. Somehow with drunk driving it never rises to the level of urgency. Lawmakers are complacent with the drunk driving laws. They will make an improvement to the law and then won’t address it for a decade.”

Few drunk drivers get caught

DeIuliis said Massachusetts law enforcement arrest about 16,000 drivers yearly for operating under the influence. He said that only about one percent get caught and the people that do get caught have driven drunk 80 times previously.

DeIuliis said it is important to credit the men in blue for their improved efforts, “I think over the past decade Mass. has done a better job at catching the impaired driver. The State Police has done a good with sobriety check points.”

Tough econmic climate causing the police cuts

Worcester City Manager Mike O’Brien explains how officials by no means take the public’s safety for granted and have done the best they can under the current economic conditions.

O’Brien said, “The global recession, dramatic State Aid cuts and a sluggish economy have taken their toll on everyone. City Government is no different. We have reduced our workforce by almost 400 employees over the last few years. That number includes over 60 police officers. These realities require all of us to prioritize. In the police department, under the Chief’s direction, we prioritized 911 emergency calls for service, impact operations and other key neighborhood public safety programs. Police officers had to be shifted to meet these priorities. It is what it is."

Worcester Police will being seeing some new faces soon. O'Brien said, "The City Council and I have now prioritized a new police recruit class of 25 for the FY2013 Budget. It will be one of two priorities. This prioritization will bring the complement back to be able to likely restore traffic enforcement manpower levels. This class will graduate in January 2013. Until then, we will continue to employ the current policing strategy, which, as the Chief cites, has resulted in a reduction in fatalities and motor vehicle accidents.”