Local

DWI arrests in Charlotte have dropped significantly

Law enforcement agencies across the area will be patrolling Charlotte roads Tuesday night in full force looking for drunken drivers.

Channel 9 uncovered new numbers that show DWI arrests have dropped significantly.

According to statistics kept by Mecklenburg County's Alcohol Beverage Control Office, there were just over 4,100 DWI arrests in 2003.

Last year, that number had dropped to 2,804, and up through two days ago the number for 2013 was 2,540 -- a 38 percent drop if the numbers don't change significantly in the next couple of nights.

Mecklenburg County ABC Sgt. Tony Chesser said there have been far too many DWI fatalities in the county so the trend has to change.

"If we don't get those numbers up as far as the DWI arrests are concerned, or just get people off the road to make a conscious decision to get someone to drive them, we're going to continue to have these deaths and we're not going to get very far that way," Chesser said.

Officials are also preparing for Charlotte's First Night event, which is the city's New Year's Eve celebration.

For more information on the event, click here.