By Kendrick Brown

DUIs are the most common crime reported at UMD, according to the University of Maryland Police Department Uniform Crime Reports.

The University of Maryland Police Department switched from the Uniform Crime Report to the National Incident-Based Reporting System in 2023. The system splits all crimes into the categories of either crime against a person, property or society. 

Since this system was introduced, the number of DUIs has increased each year. While 2023 ended with 97 reported DUI incidents, there have already been 118 reported as of the end of August 2025, with an additional 11 incidents being reported in September — all ending in arrest. 

That means, in total, there have been 129 reported DUI incidents since the beginning of the year, only nine fewer than last year’s total of 138.

The recent local statistics fall in line with the state and national DUI trends.

“We share the road with over 300,000 impaired drivers every day, and a person drives impaired about 80 times before they are arrested,” Rich Leotta, a spokesperson for DUIs in the state of Maryland, said.

In some cases, no one gets hurt, such as in the case resulting in the recent arrest of 19-year-old UMD football player Daniel Holmes, who, according to an article by Yahoo Sports, was reported to have crashed into a parking garage wall. On the other end of the spectrum, there’s the loss of life, something that happens often with DUI incidents.

There have been 359 fatalities on Maryland roads this year and more than one-third of those were from DUIs, according to John J. Seng, chair of SafeRoadsMD.

And while Holmes is reported to have been released soon after his arrest, even offenders who don’t hurt anybody can still face legal consequences.

In Maryland, a first-time DUI conviction can result in one year in jail, fines of up to $1,000, the suspension and revocation of a license, mandatory participation in an alcohol education or treatment program and additional penalties depending on other aggravating factors, such as if a child was in the vehicle.

Punishments increase in severity for repeat offenders.

A president of the nonprofit Washington Regional Alcohol Program, Kurt Erickson, suggests using rideshare, taxicabs, the Metro, designating a sober driver within a group and staying the night somewhere instead of getting behind the wheel.

“Every drunk driving fatality, injury, crash and arrest is 100% preventable, period,” Erickson said.

Featured Image: A UMPD officer gets out of his service vehicle outside Prince Frederick Hall on Monday. Photo by Ella Buchanan