Best at Busting Drunk Drivers Honored

A pair of standout police officers were honored Thursday for their dazzling proficiency, but don’t even think about suggesting a toast in their honor--not if you plan on driving afterward.

Santa Ana Officer Greg Maciha and Anaheim Officer Allen W. Eichorn were among those recognized at a luncheon as the county’s top cops and prosecutors when it comes to busting drunk drivers.

Maciha and Eichorn have each racked up more than 1,000 drunk-driving arrests in their careers, more than anyone else on patrol in Orange County.

“The recognition is nice. It’s like icing on the cake,” Eichorn said. “But even if I didn’t get it, my job is very rewarding. I save lives, and that means a lot.”

The two were among 11 prosecutors and 15 police officers honored at the luncheon, which is sponsored annually by Mothers Against Drunk Driving and hosted this year by the Richard Nixon Library and Birthplace in Yorba Linda.

For the fourth year in a row, the top honor went to Maciha, named “Top DUI Arresting Officer” for posting the most arrests in 1996, with 239.

Both Maciha and Eichorn, who had 158 arrests last year, are full-time DUI enforcement officers, roving their cities at night with the sole goal of finding offenders.

MADD executive director Reidel Post said there was a 25% increase in alcohol-related traffic deaths in Orange County last year from 1995, a statistic that “made my heart sink.”

Even more disappointing, Post said, was the decrease in the number of DUI arrests. MADD honored 21 officers for compiling 100 arrests in 1995, but only 15 for 1996.

Twelve of the 31 cities in Orange County saw an increase in alcohol-related crashes from 1995 to 1996, Post said. Fountain Valley and San Juan Capistrano had the most significant jumps, with increases of 56% and 50%, respectively.