When it comes to Illinois communities and their DUI arrests, nobody beats Rockford. That city has once again arrested more drivers for driving under the influence of alcohol than any other city in the state, except Chicago. This is according to a study released by the Alliance Against Intoxicated Motorists who tracks and collates all related data, and puts Chicago into its own category because of its size in relation to most other communities in the state.

So if you’re planning to drink and drive in Illinois (which we don’t think is a good idea any way) be certain you’re not planning a road trip through Rockford.

Every year, the agency surveys Illinois police departments to see how many DUI arrests they make and recognize the ones who are most productive. Of the nearly 700 police agencies surveyed, 76% responded. For the fifth consecutive year, the Rockford Police Department is first in the state in DUI arrests among municipal departments with 686 arrests for 2011. Rockford Investigator Rosemary Mathews was Illinois’ Top Cop with 181 of those arrests… Naperville came in second place with 622 arrests followed by Springfield, Rock Island then Decatur. “More DUI arrests in a municipality or county do not necessarily mean there are more drunk drivers in these locations than in other Illinois communities,” said Charlene Chapman, Executive Director of AAIM. “It does indicate a more active enforcement effort targeting DUI by those police departments compared to other departments.”