Rochester Police brace for a dangerous Dec. after recent DWI spikes

ROCHESTER - Last Friday evening Rochester Police dealt with two drunken driving incidents in the space of six minutes.

If those were harbingers of a holiday season that typically sees an increased rate of DWI arrests - November and December normally draw 20 percent of the annual total - then the spike in DWI numbers last December paired with just this past month could be of concern to local law enforcement.

Friday's first incident occurred at 6:26 p.m. when a caller apprised police of a car heading south on Gonic Road almost hitting several vehicles. When police caught up with the driver, the 38-year-old woman was arrested for DUI.

The second incident at 6:32 involved an erratic driver who passed the downtown Subway headed west on North Main before turning left onto Route 202A into oncoming traffic and hitting another vehicle near the intersection of Walnut and High streets. Luckily the 74-year-old man taken into custody for DUI was only driving about 5 mph at the time of the crash.

Police learned of both incidents through call-ins from civilians who had seen what they thought were impaired drivers and called police dispatch.

Rochester Police Capt. Jason Thomas said they encourage people to call in such drivers as a matter of public safety.

"It's just extra eyes," Thomas said on Wednesday. "We do get a lot of calls for cars swerving and a small percentage of the time there is a DWI, but they are arrests we might not have made had they not called."

Police may need all the help they can get this year as 2017's December DWI spiked dramatically last year followed by another steep spike in November DWI arrests last month.

This November's DWI arrests totaled 13, a 63 percent spike over last November. Last December's DWI arrests were also 13 and also a 63 percent hike over those in December 2016.

The numbers, while not showing any specific overall pattern or trend are troubling to Thomas, who said that specific DWI enforcement grants available in the past are not this year.

Thomas did say, however, that as Christmas and New Year's draw nearer, the department will likely have some overtime shifts trying to get the staff numbers higher for motor vehicle enforcement.

"This is a time of year when people tend to drink more so it's good to have more patrols," Thomas noted.

Now that New Hampshire is surrounded by three states that have made recreational marijuana use legal, Thomas said determining impairment from pot is something officers have had to add to their skill sets.

While the time-tested field sobriety test is their first tool in determining if someone is impaired, officers also have the right to pursue a blood or urine test to check for drugs like marijuana.

If individuals refuse to take these tests, there are penalties for doing so, Thomas said.

As for the upwards tick last November and December Thomas said he doesn't necessarily see any pattern or trend.

As in all instances of holiday drinking, Thomas urged revelers to get a room, a taxi or a ride from a friend if you've had too much Christmas cheer.