dui

In the Valley, one city in particular saw a dramatic rise in DUI arrests in 2007. Staunton Chief Of Police Jim Williams says there was a 45 percent increase in DUI arrests this past year. He says it's due to increased patrols.

While there have been several DUI related crashes and subsequent arrests in recent months, Williams says there is an explanation behind the drastic increase for the year.

He says the department has been hiring new officers and he thinks the added patrols have contributed to the numbers.

"This year, we've had eight or nine on a shift so they can be more proactive," says Williams. "So, it's probably not a matter of there’s more drunks out there, but we've probably just done a better job of arresting them in this last year."