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Halt of ‘DUI Wednesdays’ widens path for drunken driving

Staff Writer

Published: Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Updated: Wednesday, March 17, 2010



A pilot program enacted by the Honolulu Police Department to deter drunken drivers was pulled earlier last week. The tactic involved posting the names and (normally unflattering) mug shots of people caught driving while intoxicated on the HPD Web site for public viewing.

Since November of last year, HPD updated its Web site every Wednesday at 10 a.m. with that week’s fresh batch of mug shots for the public to scrutinize.

Even though the online gallery of criminal offenders seems like unusual punishment, the cancellation of the program just reinforces the implication that driving while drunk is not that a big of a deal.

The program proved to be controversial, however, with opponents complaining that it was a breach of ethics and that nobody should be subjected to such humiliation. Some supporters claimed it was a creative idea that would surely lower the numbers of drunken drivers on the roads.

HPD officials, however, announced that they were halting the pilot program while evaluating the effectiveness of the effort.

Soon after the start of the program, a Facebook user created the group “DUI Wednesdays,” which collectively updated the page with that week’s new mug shots. The group soon became immensely popular and now claims over 11,500 fans, many of who are expressing disdain over HPD’s decision to pull the plug on the program.

The backlash over the cancellation of the effort shows that the general public agree that if someone is willing to risk their own life driving while drunk, as well as the lives of innocent pedestrians and motorists, they do not deserve to be free from public scrutiny and public recognition.

The fact of the matter is that drunken driving is one of the most preventable causes of death.

“It’s actually kind of sad that they got rid of the program,” said Michelle Kim, an education major. “Yeah, it’s embarrassing for the offenders up on the Web site,, but that’s the point, isn’t it? It makes them think twice about drinking and driving.”

Many of the listed mug shots are from repeat offenders, and by stopping “DUI Wednesdays,” the number of drunken drivers may increase. No longer will people fear family, friends, or co-workers seeing their mug shot online.

“I actually recognized a lot of the people posted online,” Kim said. “It’s amusing for others to see, but at the same time the program sends out a strong message that driving while drunk is wrong.

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