A lawsuit says Honolulu police are arresting people for impaired driving even when they are sober

HONOLULU — The Honolulu Police Department said it will review all impaired driving arrests after the American Civil Liberties Union of Hawaii filed a lawsuit Thursday, alleging officers are arresting sober drivers in an overzealous focus on making drunk-driving arrests.

HONOLULU — The Honolulu Police Department said it will review all impaired driving arrests after the American Civil Liberties Union of Hawaii filed a lawsuit Thursday, alleging officers are arresting sober drivers in an overzealous focus on making drunk-driving arrests.

In recent years Honolulu officers have arrested “scores” of drivers who show no outward signs of impairment, perform well on field sobriety tests and whose breath tests often show no alcohol, the lawsuit said.

The department is driven by a “singular focus” on getting arrests for driving under the influence, even if they don’t result in convictions, the ACLU said.

Supervisors give officers incentives, including telling night enforcement officers they can go home and still get paid for an entire shift if they make a DUI arrest, which results in officers taking investigative shortcuts or making arrests without probable cause, the ACLU said.

Police are attempting to show that officers are protecting the public, using arrest numbers to secure federal funding and to meet quotas, the organization said.