Arlington Police glitch makes county appear to have drunkenness problem

ARLINGTON, Va. (FOX 5 DC) - A glitch in police crime data shows a massive increase in the number of arrests for public drunkenness in Arlington County.

The data is part of the annual crime report released by ACPD, but a spokeswoman for the police says it appears the statistics for arrests related to drinking offenses is inaccurate.

The report shows 622 arrests in 2018, up from 273 in 2017, which represents a nearly 130 percent increase.

Police spokeswoman Ashley Savage explains the 2017 number appears to have been improperly reported. Savage provided a five-year report which shows the 2018 number is in line with previous years.

Arlington County has created a program to cut down on alcohol-related crime. It is called the Arlington Restaurant Initiative and trains businesses on how to better serve and manage people who have been drinking.

The program will be the subject of a meeting on Wednesday from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Navy League building at 2300 Wilson Boulevard.

The report also shows violent crime is down overall.