My perception of local crime must be really off. Then again I hail from Bham where literally there is constantly a murder on the North side of town.

Matt – HSV is the second highest crime city in Alabama, and ranked #83 nationwide (Bham is #13). Plus, HSV is below national average in number of police for population.

http://www.city-data.com/top2/c405.html

I think there’s a combination of factors that come in to play. First of all, effective DUI enforcement requires an experienced, well-trained police force. Most DUIs are harder to detect, more difficult to process, and more likely to go to court than other traffic offenses.

Another factor is that the department’s leadership must have an inclination directed more toward safety than revenue. An officer can write a fistful of speeding tickets during the time it takes to make one DUI arrest.

Still another factor is location. I was a State Trooper assigned to Birmingham from ‘78-82, most of it on the midnight shift. I worked Jefferson, StClair, Shelby, Walker, and Blount Counties. After that I worked of of Decatur for 4 more years. I was among the top Troopers in Alabama for DUI arrests. I made more DUI arrests in the wet counties and cities; however, the blood alcohol content was usuall not a high as the DUIs that I made in the dry counties. Also many of the DUIs that I made in the wet counties and cities were folks who lived in the dry areas.

“Comcast Cameras to Start Watching You?”
http://newteevee.com/2008/03/18/comcast-cameras-to-start-watching-you/

Here’s a related story from Fox News in 2006 that I somehow missed:
“CELL PHONE (FBI can listen even when phone is turned off)”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O61YfvPZGJs