Which suburbs are making the most DUI arrests?

Two things jumped out at us in the Alliance Against Intoxicated Motorists’ latest annual report on which Illinois police departments, and which officers, are making the most drunk driving arrests.

First, there was the 51% increase in DUI arrests last year in Naperville. And then there was the West Chicago Police Department making 5.72 DUI arrests per officer in 2024, second in the state only behind the River Grove PD.

Much of that West Chicago stat is attributable to officer Blake Bertany, who made 100 DUI arrests last year, according to the AAIM study. That was good enough for sixth most in the state, and tops among officers in the Daily Herald’s coverage area.

West Chicago Chief Colin Fleury said going after intoxicated drivers has been a focus since he became its chief in 2021.

“I wasn’t entirely happy when I came to West Chicago with the number of fatal accidents (in West Chicago and nearby),” he told us, noting that he previously helped lead Elgin Police Department’s traffic unit. ”(Fatals) always bothered me.”

In 2023, West Chicago police created a targeted response unit for several traffic and crime concerns, including DUI. It added two more officers to that unit in 2024 and also has an officer trained to detect if a person has ingested drugs.

Fleury said he’d prefer to see the arrest numbers dwindle, because that means drivers aren't behind the wheel of a “multi-thousand pound missile” while intoxicated. That’s especially true since three state highways — routes 64 (North Avenue), 59 and 38 (Roosevelt Road) — run through the town. Speed and drinking make for worse crashes, according to Fleury.

As for Naperville, Cmdr. Rick Krakow said he could not point to anything specific for DUI arrests rising from 170 in 2023 to 258 in 2024.

“DUI enforcement is always one of our high priorities in traffic enforcement,” he said.

“There’s no magic pill here to what we have done,” Krakow added. “We are incredibly proud of the 51% increase. They (officers) are out there looking.”

The AAIM report, based on surveys sent to departments statewide, has been compiled since 1990. This year it was sent to about 700 police agencies, and about 81% responded, according to AAIM. The Illinois Department of Transportation helps pay for the survey.

Aurora had the most arrests, with 473, a 29% increase from 2023. It’s per-officer average was 1.45.

Among the other leaders in arrests-per-officer were Lombard (3.25), Elmhurst (3.21) and Naperville (1.4).

Elgin saw a 13% decrease. Sgt. Hector Gutierrez, the department’s public information officer, said there could be several factors for the dip, including drivers taking more precautions.

“The reduction or increase of crime is a complex issue that needs to be recognized and acknowledged, with the understanding that we remain committed to enforcing DUI laws and continuing our efforts to promote safe and responsible driving specially during the holidays,” Gutierrez wrote in an email.

A win for survivor privacy

A Gurnee-based advocacy group for survivors of sexual abuse shouldn’t have been held in contempt of court for refusing to turn over records involving a girl who’d accused a Round Lake-area man of assault.

That was the decision this week from a state appeals court, which reversed a Lake County judge’s order finding the Zacharias Sexual Abuse Center in contempt and fining it $1 a day until it surrendered the documents.

They were being sought by the defense for Mcred Valderama, who faces predatory criminal sexual assault charges alleging he abused the underage girl multiple times over several years before his 2022 arrest.

In April 2024, Valderama’s defense requested an “in camera” review of the records — meaning with a judge behind closed doors — to determine whether the information could be used at a potential trial. They argued that the records could weigh on the girl’s credibility and Valderama has a sixth Amendment right to fully confront his accuser.

Lake County Judge Mark L. Levitt agreed, and when Zacharias hadn’t surrendered the information five months later, found the agency in civil contempt.

Zacharias appealed, and on Tuesday, the 2nd District Appellate Court took its side. The court ruled that those records are confidential under state law, and should only be accessible if they contain specific information that would help the defense and could not be obtained elsewhere.

“In light of the strong policy considerations in favor of protecting victims’ confidentiality, and the lack of any reason to believe that (the) confidential statements would provide a source of impeaching material unavailable from other sources, the trial court’s order calling for an in camera inspection of (the) counseling records was a clear abuse of discretion at odds with explicit precedent to the contrary,” Justice Christopher M. Kennedy wrote in the unanimous decision.

A Zacharias representative did not return a call for comment. Valderama, 39, remains in custody at the Lake County jail awaiting trial.

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