Howard County Police Represent in Anti-DUI Campaign

Before Super Bowl Sunday, Howard County police will join area leaders to get citizens revved up about staying safe and sober on roads this weekend.

The Howard County Police Department will be among 11 agencies addressing the media Friday to announce the “40 on 40” program, according to a statement from Checkpoint Strikeforce, a multi-state effort to curb impaired driving.

In the campaign, 40 officers will be posted along the Route 40 corridor from Howard to Cecil counties taking impaired drivers off the road each day from Friday to Sunday, the statement said.

Éva O’Croinin, the wife of an officer hit by a drunk driver in Howard County last year, will be in attendance at Friday’s press conference. Her husband, Officer Mike Marino, has recovered from his injuries and plans on patrolling during the 40 on 40 operation.

In addition to increasing patrols for Super Bowl weekend, Baltimore and Harford counties will hold DUI checkpoints.

The following agencies will be represented at a press conference Friday announcing the “40 on 40” patrol:

• Maryland State Police
• Maryland Transportation Authority Police
• Aberdeen Police Department
• Baltimore Police Department
• Baltimore County Police Department
• Bel Air Police Department
• Cecil County Sheriff’s Office
• Elkton Police Department
• Harford County Sheriff’s Office
• Havre De Grace Police Department
• Howard County Police Department.

The initiative is supported by the International Association of Chiefs of Police, which selected Maryland and this stretch of highway based on crash data from the past several years, according to Checkpoint Strikeforce. The data was not immediately available.

After the 7 p.m. Friday press conference at the Golden Ring Barrack to announce the weekend campaign, police will deploy along the Route 40 corridor.

Still from Washington Regional Alcohol Program/YouTube.