The number of arrests made by the University Police for driving while intoxicated has doubled in the last year, according to figures from the University Police.
Since January, the University Police have arrested and charged 34 people on the North and South campuses for DWI, a number that has leapt from the 2001 total of 17.
"I think (last year's numbers were) about average," said Richard Linde, assistant director of Public Safety. "I think it is a little bit high this year."
In addition to the probability that more students are drinking and driving than last year, Linde said the reason for the rise in arrests could be related to the hiring of new University Police officers.
"Maybe we have some new officers working on that shift, and they're a little bit more aggressive," said Linde.
According to Linde, the University Police staffs about 40 police officers and plans to hire more to compensate for several recent retirements.
Mario Giacobe, head of the DWI Bureau of the Erie County District Attorney's Office, said the number of DWIs at UB this year surprised him, since Buffalo's DWI rate has not gone up and he feels education about drunk driving has increased in the last few years.
"Legally you can have a drink and drive," Giacobe said. "But I just think everybody's attitude is, 'I've had a couple, I'd rather not drive.'"
Once a student is arrested for DWI, Linde said he or she is tried at a Buffalo or Amherst court. Giacobe said if a person is found guilty, the degree of punishment depends on a variety of factors.
"There's really no hard-cut rule," Giacobe said. "It really just depends on whether you're a first time offender, a repeat offender and then what you get convicted of."
According to Giacobe, whether a person is a repeat offender affects the classification of the DWI as either a misdemeanor or a felony. First-time offenders would likely be charged a fine of between $500 and $750; the fine increases with each successive arrest for driving while intoxicated. The crime may also be considered a felony if the offender has committed a misdemeanor within the previous 10 years.
Giacobe said all DWI offenders are required to undergo counseling sessions, including a victim impact panel in which offenders talk to people who have suffered tragedies from drunk driving incidents.
Photo: Meredith Forrest Kulwicki
