The local affiliate of Mothers Against Drunk Drivers said it is “troubled” by allegations Arcola police officers are booking drunk drivers for public intoxication instead of DWI.

Hope Rangel, executive director of MADD’s Southeast Texas affiliate, said drunk drivers need to be prosecuted fro DWI. Failure to do so simply allows habitual offenders slip through the cracks of the judicial system and continue to present a danger to themselves and other motorists.

“We want anyone who is intoxicated to be prosecuted to the full extent to the law,” Rangel said. “It’s hard to explain to the families of victims (of drunk drivers) that the person responsible was not held accountable.”

Rangel pointed out that penalties substantially increase for repeat offenders, so it is important that each case be prosecuted as a DWI.

“If there’s no prior DWI record, it looks like a person’s first offense when they go to court,” Rangel said. “When they become a repeat offender, things like (a public intoxication conviction) don’t show up in the record, so it looks like a first offense.”

Rangel also said MADD supports the efforts of law enforcement officers and understands the pressures they work under, but DWI enforcement should always be taken seriously. She also said MADD occasionally hears about isolated cases like Arcola.

“Every once in a while we run into this,” Rangel said.

Rangel added she hoped the community would come together and demand the police department crack down on drunk drivers.

“There needs to be a united effort by the people. They need to send a clear message that they won’t put up with DWI,” Rangel said.

The issue came to light after a several individuals contracted FortBendNow with complaints that Arcola police officers were letting drunk drivers slide with only citations for public intoxication. Arcola City Administrator Arnold Brown said Police Chief James Bartley reviewed police records and found no evidence of the practice.

“The chief found no cases where a suspected DWI was arrested for public intoxication,” Brown said. “In fact, our officers are required to charge intoxicated drivers with DWI through the county (courts system).”

Brown also said there was no policy, written or unwritten, that police officers should charge suspected drunk drivers with public intoxication.

However, an investigation into Arcola Municipal Court cases by FortBendNow found numerous cases in which drivers were charged with public intoxication after being stopped for traffic violations. In those cases, the drivers were cited for the traffic charge and public intoxication on the same citation. Several involved drivers who had been involved in an accident, and at least one involved a hit-and-run case.

Several city insiders said Arcola officials were turning a blind eye to the practice because public intoxication offenses were prosecuted in municipal court, with fine revenue going to the cash-strapped city’s general fund. DWI cases are prosecuted in county and district courts, with fine revenues going to the county and state.

The cases found by FortBendNow occurred during 2007 and 2008 and involved a number of different officers.

Messages left requesting comment from Arcola Municipal Judge Bonnie Fitch were not returned.