DUI Arrests: How Does Glen Ellyn Compare With Other Towns?

The Alliance Against Intoxicated Motorists released its annual survey of Illinois arrests for driving under the influence of alcohol on Tuesday.

The Glen Ellyn Police Department made 145 DUI arrests in 2012, 3.92 arrest per sworn officer (37) in the department. That number is more than in neighboring Wheaton, 134 arrests or 2.06 per officer (65) and also more than nearby Lisle, which had 74 arrests, 1.95 per officer (38).

AAIM is an Illinois-only citizen activist group founded in 1982 by victims of drunk driving. The organization's mission is prevention, victim advocacy and legislation.

Since 1990, the nonprofit has conducted a survey of police departments. In 2012, nearly 700 police agencies were surveyed with 84 percent responding, according to AAIM.

The survey contains 2012 arrest data for all Illinois counties and for nearly all towns. The above chart shows the data for west-Chicago towns, sorted by DUI arrest rate per sworn officer.

“One reason AAIM continues to survey and report the number of impaired driving arrests throughout Illinois because traffic safety advocates believe that drunk drivers who are arrested are the fortunate ones," AAIM Board Vice President and crash survivor, Marti Belluschi said in a press release. 

"In our impaired driving prevention programs, we always remind people that if they are driving drunk they are lucky if it is a cop that stops them, rather than a tree, another car or a small child."

The Village of Itasca had the highest arrest rate in the state, 264 DUI arrests per officer, among departments surveyed making more than 200 arrests, which worked out to 11.48 per officer.

Chicago is not included and due to its size, has its own category.

The Naperville Police Department had the second highest overall number of arrests  at 662, surpassed only by Rockford, which had 699 arrests.