By Gary Klien
Marin Independent Journal
SAUSALITO, Calif. — A Sausalito police officer has been honored by Mothers Against Drunk Drivers for racking up 75 DUI arrests in 2008, likely the highest individual tally in Marin.
Officer Michael Davis, 40, received the performance award during a recent ceremony at The Lodge at Sonoma.
“Most people credit me with being aggressive about it, and I am,” said Davis, who lives in Sonoma County. “I don’t think it’s a minor crime. It’s kind of a quiet violent crime. There are literally thousands of fatalities each year related to drivers under the influence, despite the amount of education that’s out there.”
The awards ceremony honored officers with more than 25 DUI arrests last year in Marin, Sonoma, Napa and Solano, with special recognition for the officers with the most arrests in each county.
Awards are based on data provided to MADD by participating local agencies. In Marin, MADD received DUI arrest statistics from the Novato Police Department, the San Rafael Police Department, the Sausalito Police Department and the Corte Madera office of the California Highway Patrol.
Davis posted 26 more DUI arrests than the next closest officer in Marin, Novato police Officer Chris Andres.
According to MADD’s numbers, only two other officers outperformed Davis in the four North Bay counties of Marin, Sonoma, Napa and Solano. The region’s highest record was by Santa Rosa police Officer Hiroshi Yaguchi, who made 104 DUI arrests last year.
Davis said his performance can be explained partly by personal diligence, but partly by the geography of Sausalito, where traffic tends to “funnel” down to Bridgeway from the side streets.
Davis also won repeated honors from MADD while working for the Suisun City Police Department, said Silas Miers, a MADD program coordinator. Davis joined the Sausalito Police Department about 18 months ago.
Sausalito police Chief Scott Paulin said the department’s overall DUI arrests surged from 75 in 2007 to 150 in 2008.
“He’s raised the bar and the standard for us as an agency,” Paulin said of Davis.
Copyright 2009 Marin Independent Journal