Pike County Chief Deputy is one of the best in DUI busts

reecedunker
Jul 28, 2023
3 min read

Keeping intoxicated motorists off the roads is one of the most often thought about jobs of law enforcement, yet still one of the most difficult aspects of the profession. Thanks to increased awareness of the impact that driving under the influence can have, DUI related deaths have decreased over the last decade.

One such organization that has played a major part in raising awareness is the Alliance Against Intoxicated Motorists (AAIM). The group was founded in 1982 when the state Illinois had no other organization against drunk driving.

While raising awareness, the AAIM also recognize law enforcement and their effort in keeping impaired drivers off the road. Zach Orr, Pike County’s Chief Deputy, was recognized by the AAIM for finishing at the top for DUI arrests in the region.

“I did not know I was up for an award. I am in the top 10 at a very local level. It is not like I am leading the state. I think the highest was an ISP (Illinois State Patrol) trooper who wrote 145 DUI’s,” Orr said.

Finishing where he did was a surprise to Orr, largely due to his responsibilities as Chief Deputy.

“In my current position, I do not patrol much. I have administrative duties such as scheduling, timekeeping, policy revie, fleet management, and contracts. I also serve as the agency’s lead investigator. The lead investigator takes up most of my time, so I do not have much time left to patrol,” Orr explained.

Even though he finished near the top in DUI arrests, he did make it clear that the number of DUI arrests have dropped significantly in his 24-year law enforcement career.

“I think my first year on patrol, I made around 50 DUI arrests. That is an insane amount of DUI arrests for a law enforcement that is not assigned to a specialized DUI unit,” Orr said.

While this recognition from the AAIM was a notable one, he received an even bigger award a few years ago.

“I received an award from MADD for arresting over 500 intoxicated motorists throughout my law enforcement career. I am at the point of my career where I do not really care about awards or recognition,” Orr added.

However, his arrests are not what most people think of when they hear about a DUI arrest.

“What is different about my DUI arrests, is the majority of DUI arrests I make are for driving under the influence of methamphetamine. When people think DUI arrests, they automatically assume alcohol. That is not necessarily the case, I focus my efforts on the drug aspect of DUI’s,” Orr said.

His focus on the drug aspect of DUI’s only makes his recognition more impressive. For a county of its size, Pike County has a surprisingly high number of methamphetamine users. A number that Orr has been working to decrease.

“I have spent my entire law enforcement career focusing on narcotics, namely methamphetamine. I have years of experience seeing what the effects of methamphetamine can do to a person, their family, and their community,” Orr said.

Even though he and every other arresting officer hate the paperwork that goes with a DUI, they know it is essential in keeping impaired drivers off the road.

Having been with the Pike County Sheriff’s Department for 24 years, Orr has seen and heard some crazy stories in the field.

“I had a DUI arrest several years ago where the suspect had a blood/alcohol level of .301 and was talking to me like nothing was going on. They nearly hit me head on north of Pleasant Hill. Most people would be in the hospital with a blood alcohol level that high,” Orr recounted.

That is not the highest blood alcohol/level that he has knowledge of being arrested in this area.

“I knew an officer that arrested a DUI suspect who had a blood/alcohol level of .306” Orr said.

Maybe one day in the distant future, there will be a time when DUI arrests are so minimal that it is no longer considered a problem. Until then, groups such as the Alliance Against Intoxicated Motorists will continue working tirelessly, spreading the message about driving under the influence.

And while they do that, the men and women of law enforcement, like Chief Deputy Orr, will continue keeping offenders off the roads.

“There is no reason a person should be driving under the influence. I would say just about everyone has lost a good friend or family,” Orr said.