A Massillon police officer is calling for stricter penalties for repeat OVI offenders in the state of Ohio after a high number of drunk driving arrests over Christmas and New Year's.
According to court records obtained by newsnet5.com, 37 OVI charges were filed in the Massillon jurisdiction between during the holiday stretch beginning on Dec. 18 and ending on New Year's Day.
Four of those arrests were for repeat OVI offenders. Breath tests from six arrests showed a blood concentration of more than .17 — more than twice the legal limit.
Police believe impaired driving was also to blame for a serious injury accident at the intersection of Hankins Road and 17th Street NE on Dec. 26.
“We had 65-degree weather and a four-day weekend for Christmas so it was a bad combination for law enforcement,” Sgt. Brian Muntean of the Massillon Police Dept. told newsnet5.com.
Muntean said Ohio’s “lenient” OVI laws are the blame for the high number of repeat OVI offenders that continue to plague the city’s roadways.
He explained that it takes four OVIs in six years or six OVIs in 20 years for a repeat offense to count as a felony — unless the driver has a prior felony on his record.
“You often will run across people with say nine or 10 OVI convictions,” he said. “Because of that time table, it’s still a misdemeanor and has to be treated as such.”
Major C.J. Stantz of the Stark Co. Sheriff’s Department agreed that the law should include stricter penalties.
“The laws could be stiffer,” Stantz told newsnet5.com. “Many people out there would love those penalties increased for that.”
In Indiana, a second drunk driving offense can be charged as a felony if committed within five years of the first charge.
Pennsylvania drivers are labeled “habitual offenders” after their third drunk driving offense. Offenders are subject to a five-year license revocation.
Now Muntean is calling for Ohio lawmakers to change the law.
“The lawmakers sometimes are out of touch and they don’t see what we see the don’t see — the realities of it,” Muntean said.
He penned a letter to Senator Scott Oelslager and Representative Stephen Slesnick.
“I believe we owe it to the law-abiding citizens to protect them from harm. Our priorities have become backwards,” the letter said, in part.
A Mothers Against Drunk Driving representative confirmed with Muntean that the letter had been forwarded to the legislators.
Muntean has also been in contact with the State of Ohio FOP Political Action Committee.
“There’s basically two things that will stop a repeat offender from driving again and it’s either a prison cell or a casket,” he told newsnet5.com.
According to court records, 67 OVI charges were filed in the Massillon jurisdiction during the month of December alone.
---
Follow Megan Hickey on Facebookand Twitter
Download the newsnet5 app:
