Minnesota sees decrease in DWI arrests during 2024 holiday enforcement

The Minnesota Department of Public Safety Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) released its 2024 statistics for its holiday DWI campaign, which consisted of increased law enforcement efforts by more than 300 agencies from the day before Thanksgiving through New Year’s Eve.

DWI holiday enforcement results 

What we know:

During the campaign, law enforcement made 2,079 arrests for impaired driving, down from the 2,432 arrests during the 2023 campaign

Friday’s press release highlighted a few incidents, including a Minnesota State Patrol Trooper who arrested a driver in Maplewood with a 0.40 blood alcohol content (BAC) after being involved in a rear-end crash. 

READ MORE: DWI map of Minnesota: Search and see where drunk drivers are

An impaired driver with 21 prior DWI’s was arrested after speeding in Brooklyn Center and eventually crashing the vehicle in Minneapolis. A trooper in Duluth arrested a wrong-way driver on Interstate 35, who had a 0.19 BAC.

What they're saying:

"A 27-year-old with six DWIs, and a man driving impaired with three children in the car— these examples are disturbing and heartbreaking, but we know there were drivers who chose to do the right thing and drive safe and sober this holiday," said OTS Director Mike Hanson. "To those sober drivers I say thank you; it really was a gift. For those who chose to drive impaired, we’re grateful to our law enforcement partners who are relentlessly protecting Minnesotans from those reckless decisions."

Highest BACs reported 

By the numbers:

According to the OTS, the Twin Cities metro area's highest BAC’s included: 

  • Brooklyn Park Police Department: 0.38
  • Shakopee Police Department: 0.36
  • North St. Paul Police Department: 0.36
  • South St. Paul Police Department: 0.34

In greater Minnesota, the highest BAC’s were: 

  • Elk River Police Department: 0.415
  • Itasca County Sheriff’s Office: 0.37
  • Bemidji Police Department: 0.36
  • Sherburne County Sheriff’s Office: 0.36
  • Wyoming Police Department: 0.36
  • Minnesota State Patrol Duluth district: 0.33
  • Minnesota State Patrol Mankato district: 0.33

DWI arrests by agency

By the numbers:

During the holiday campaign, the agencies with the most DWI arrests in the Twin Cities metro included: 

  • Minnesota State Patrol west metro: 247
  • Minnesota State Patrol east metro: 115
  • St. Paul Police Department: 54
  • Minneapolis Police Department: 39
  • Woodbury Police Department: 37
  • Shakopee Police Department: 35

The OTS said the agencies with the most arrests in greater Minnesota included:

  • Rochester Police Department: 57
  • Minnesota State Patrol St. Cloud district: 39
  • Wright County Sheriff’s Office: 36
  • Minnesota State Patrol Virginia district: 35

You can find a full list of participating agencies and the BAC levels in the document below.

The Source: A press release from the Minnesota Department of Public Safety. 

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