Essex County Sobriety Checkpoint Upcoming: State Police

DANVERS, MA — North Shore drivers are advised to expect the possibility of encountering a sobriety checkpoint in Essex County next week.

The exact spot on the checkpoint is not revealed, but it is scheduled for Thursday night, Dec. 23, into the early morning hours of Christmas Eve.

"The purpose is to further educate the motoring public and strengthen the public's awareness to the need of detecting and removing those motorists who operate under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs from our roadways," State Police Col. Christopher Mason said. "It will be operated during varied hours, the selection of the vehicles will not be arbitrary, safety will be assured and any inconveniences to motorists will be minimized with advance notice to reduce fear and anxiety."

The checkpoint is funded through a grant from the Highway Safety Division of the Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety and Security.

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.