Grays Harbor County enjoyed a relatively typical New Year’s Eve as agencies reported a typical number of driving under the influence-related influences.

While county-wide numbers for DUI-related offenses over the weekend aren’t immediately available, responding departments, such as Cosmopolis, Hoquiam and Elma indicated offenses were within expected parameters.

“We did have one DUI arrest,” said Officer Josh Wheeler of the Elma Police Department. “Other than that, it was typical calls.”

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“Typical” seems very much the theme of the holiday for the departments contacted.

“It was a regular weekend for us,” said Acting Chief Heath Layman of the Cosmopolis Police Department.

Many departments announced increased deterrent patrols around the holidays in order to discourage driving while intoxicated.

“It seems like we consistently have a couple of DUIs every time,” said Sgt. Christian Slater of the Hoquiam Police Department. “In Hoquiam, we have a lot of people traveling through Hoquiam.”

Many of the DUIs in the county are from people passing through to or from destinations like the coast, Wheeler said, who estimated it might be as many as half of the DUI arrests made.

“It’s kind of all over the place. Some of the DUIs we get or state gets or county gets are local,” Wheeler said. “We get a fair share of people from out-of-county.”

Wheeler also theorized that with more officers on duty, more DUI offenders would likely be stopped on holidays like New Year’s Eve.

Washington State Patrol also reported no DUI arrests in the county on New Year’s Eve, though there was a DUI-related crash the following afternoon, said Trooper Katherine Weatherwax.

Contact reporter Michael S. Lockett at 757-621-1197 or mlockett@thedailyworld.com.