DUI Arrests Way Down in Miami Beach

Drunk driving arrests are way down in Miami Beach, Fla., but that doesn’t mean people are drinking and driving any less.

City police say that a reorganization of patrol zones in 2011 made officers forgo DUI stops to target other crimes.

The Miami Herald reported Monday that Miami Beach police arrested almost 1,300 DUI suspects in 2009. Last year they arrested 492 and are on a pace to arrest 442 this year.

But the number of drunk driving accidents remains about the same.

Miami Beach is known for its wild nightlife.

Local leaders of Mothers Against Drunk Driving said the situation is frustrating. They point out that Miami Beach’s failure to arrest drunk drivers endangers people in surrounding cities as the drunk drivers head to their homes and hotels.