Connecticut State Police respond to a fraction of calls this ‘Blackout Wednesday’ than in previous years

MIDDLETOWN, Conn. (WLNE) — Connecticut State Police had far fewer calls for service on the night before Thanksgiving than in recent years.

According to a police report, the department responded to 1,680 calls from midnight on Wednesday to 8 a.m. on Thursday.

Among the “Blackout Wednesday” 2023 calls were 164 crashes, 11 DUI arrests, and 33 speeding citations. The department also issued 68 infractions for violations like seat belts, unsafe lane changes, following too closely, and distracted driving.

It was a significant improvement from 2022, when troopers responded to 444 crashes and made 41 DUI arrests. The department issued 265 speeding violations and 913 infractions for other violations.

Last year, troopers had nearly four times the work, with 6,569 calls in total.

The department had over 7,000 calls in 2021 and 2020.

Among those calls were 543 crashes and 50 DUIs in 2021 and 376 crashes and 29 DUIs in 2020. The department noted the 2020 numbers were lower due to people staying home for the holidays amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The numbers of DUI offenses have gone down each year since 2021.

It was the opposite for Rhode Island this year.

The DUI Task Force made 32 arrests, compared to only 7 in 2022.