Criminals appeared to stay home over Thanksgiving, with few bookings at the Nevada County jail — except for drunken drivers.

The county has seen an increase in DUI bookings at the jail every year for the past three years for the four days of the Thanksgiving holiday, according to jail records.

DUI bookings from all local law enforcement agencies have nearly tripled in three years, with 17 this weekend compared to six in 2009, jail records show.

Thanksgiving does not have the same reputation for excessive social drinking seen at other holidays, such as New Year's Eve.

It was unclear what roles this year's mild weather and the continuing poor economy could have played in the trend, local officials said.

“Thanksgiving weekend is a busy one traditionally, and we do get a fair number of DUIs, usually later in the day, after people have finished eating,” said California Highway Patrol Officer Marc Morrison.

But as to the increase, “we really don't have any idea” why that would be, said county Undersheriff Henry Serrano. “Maybe its a statistical anomaly. Those rise up from time to time.”

Drinking often increases with unemployment.

Joblessness in the county as a proportion has declined slowly but steadily this year to the most recent low of 10.2 percent in October, according to the California Employment Development Department.

But those who remain out of work, in many cases, have been struggling for going on three years.

Regardless of the cause, “there's really no excuse for driving under the influence in this day and age,” Serrano said.

He cited taxi services, designated driver programs at area bars and greater awareness of the consequences of drunken driving through public education.

If you've had too much to drink, Serrano said, “do the right thing: Stay where you're at, call a friend, call a program, but don't be stupid and crawl behind the wheel.”

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To contact Senior Staff Writer Trina Kleist, e-mail tkleist@theunion.com or call (530) 477-4230.