No DUIs recorded over holiday

Libby saw zero driving under the influence infractions over New Year’s Eve, said Chief of Police Scott Kessel.

Updating Libby City Council on the department’s recent activity during its Jan. 4 meeting, Kessel said they had deployed an extra officer for that evening. But the agency recorded no DUIs on either New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day, he said.

As for the month of December, Kessel said the department responded to 216 service calls, down from 284 in 2019. Officers issued 27 citations as compared to 34 the year prior.

Arrests also declined. The department recorded just six in December as opposed to 30 last year. But Kessel cautioned that the decrease likely resulted from restrictions at the Lincoln County Detention Center, which is only taking in violent offenders.

Finally, Kessel noted that one officer was undergoing an instructor development course in Helena. The extra training would allow him to provide instruction to his colleagues back in Libby, Kessel said.