Commission hears evidence that dedicated DUI officers increased arrests in Yakima and Aberdeen

Megan Baker, program specialist on the commission’s impaired-driving team, told commissioners on July 16 that the agency’s dedicated DUI officer program has yielded substantial enforcement activity in the communities it serves while also facing staffing and sustainability challenges.

Baker said the program, designed as a three-year investment to build local capacity, has invested about $1.6 million in combined state and federal funding. The program places officers in high-need locations and emphasizes specialized training — including drug-recognition-expert certificates — data-driven deployment, and community engagement.

She cited local outcomes: Yakima’s dedicated officer work saw impaired-driving arrests increase from 214 in 2020 to 538 in 2024, an increase of 324 arrests; the newer Aberdeen program showed arrests rise from 36 in 2020 to 122 in 2024, an increase of 86 arrests. "Every impaired driver removed from the road represents a crash that may have never happened," Baker said, describing the program’s prevention rationale.

Baker described operational constraints: agencies must manage vacancies and competing priorities, and turnover and burnout of specialized officers create continuity challenges. She said the commission looks for host agencies that can offer some type of match (salary or shift coverage) and local support to improve sustainability, and that the program seeks to strengthen regional partnerships and mentorship among participating agencies.

The presentation emphasized that officers also conduct community outreach and training to build public awareness and strengthen local investigative capacity. Baker said the program aims to create a statewide network of dedicated-DUI officers who can share best practices and mentor peers.

Commissioners had no formal questions during the presentation; staff thanked Baker and moved on to the director’s report.