Young outlines the legal consequences of a DUI in Crete

Melanie Anderson
Staff Writer
Dec. 9, 2004, Page 12

Doane's gathering policy may be the hot topic on campus concerning alcohol, but driving under the influence in Crete is not up for discussion.
Students thinking of taking their drinking parties on the road should be aware of the consequences that await them at the Crete Police Department.
Lt. Gary Young of the Crete Police explained what he and other officers are looking for on the roads.
"We are out on every road here in Crete, gravel roads, major roads, side streets, everywhere,” Young said. “Usually it's a traffic infraction like running lights or swerving in the road that draws our attention, then we are looking for bloodshot eyes, the smell of booze, slurred speech."
Crete's police force boasts not only a lineup of qualified officers on the roads but also has one officer who specializes in drug and alcohol impairments.
So far this year, Crete has made 100 arrests on charges of driving while impaired. That number makes up one-fifth of the total arrests made in Crete since January.
Young explained the procedure that students can expect if they are caught driving under the influence of alcohol while in Crete:
When an officer suspects that alcohol is a factor in a traffic stop, he or she will ask the driver to perform a number of field sobriety tests such as reciting the alphabet while standing on one leg.
If the driver fails the test, the next step is a breathalyzer test. Suspects are not required to submit to the tests, but they can be charged with a misdemeanor if they choose not to take the test.
The legal limit for blood alcohol content while driving is .08. Any higher number will land a driver in the back seat of a patrol car on a trip to the jail in Wilber.
Officers in Crete leave the impaired in the Wilber jail in the custody of the Wilbur sheriffs.
Once inside the Wilbur jail, the individual is forced to complete a long list of tasks.
After changing into prison orange, locking up all possessions and answering a full history questionaire administered by an officer, the individual is locked into a small, bare cell to cool off and sober up.
Eight hours, a phone call to a friend or relative, and a $250 bail later, the individual is free to go -- if it is his or her first offense and if the person is a resident of the state.
Once out of prison, the suspected drunk driver is still not out of the woods.
If convicted after a meeting with the judge, the driver could face anything from court-ordered alcohol counseling to 60 days in jail for the first offense. In either case, the driver is saddled with a record that could haunt the driver for some time.
Young said that Crete police are out looking for drunk drivers to help keep both students and citizens safe on the roads.
"Once you are behind the wheel [after drinking], you are a risk to the community of Crete,” Young said. “We encourage the designated driver program. If we see someone impared, we will try to stop them before they get into a car and try to find a ride for them."