Halloween Traffic Enforcement Results in 6 Arrests, 27 Citations

Halloween in Lahaina 2015. Photo credit: Maui Police Department.

Maui police made a total of six arrests and issued 27 citations during a Halloween traffic enforcement effort aimed at reducing impaired driving.

The data is separate from the three arrests and six traffic citations issued during the 2015 Halloween in Lahaina event on Front Street on Saturday, Oct. 31, 2015.

The Maui Police Department-Traffic Section conducted multiple DUI Checkpoints on Halloween night to prevent and apprehend impaired drivers.

Police say Halloween rivals St. Patrick’s Day and New Years as “the busiest night for the Traffic Section’s Vehicle Homicide Unit and DUI Task Force Unit.”

“While large numbers of people were out on our streets trick-or-treating, others were out drinking and driving, this made increased patrols and DUI checkpoints necessary,” said Maui Police Sergeant Nick Krau in a department press release.

The following are the results of MPD’s efforts to reduce impaired driving during Halloween 2015:

Total Traffic related arrests, 6, including the following:
Impaired Driving arrests: 3
Other Traffic Crime arrests: 3

Total Traffic Citations Issued, 27, including the following:
No Driver’s License citations issued: 9
No Vehicle Insurance citations issued: 6
No Child Restraint citations issued: 3
Other traffic related citations issued: 9

“In the past, we have seen higher numbers of individuals arrested on Halloween night for impaired driving. There has been a steady decrease in impaired drivers on the roads following the Halloween festivities in our community,” said Sgt. Krau, who heads the DUI Task Force Unit in the Maui Police Department’s Traffic Section.

“More and more people are utilizing other forms of transportation to and from this event. While working the DUI Checkpoints we saw hundreds of people who had consumed alcohol taking other forms of transportation that didn’t require them to drive,” he said.

“There were multiple shuttle services transporting people from various locations on the island. Also, there were numerous taxi cabs and designated drivers transporting passengers consistently throughout the night,” noted Sgt. Krau.

Maui police thanked those who chose not to drive impaired.