Expect Extra DWI Patrols This MDW in Nassau County

There were be additional police patrols throughout Nassau County this Memorial Day Weekend that will be targeting drunk and impaired drivers, Nassau County leaders announced Thursday.

Residents are encouraged to follow the rules of the road or suffer the consequences.

Last year’s MDW crackdown led to 45 DWI arrests in Nassau County. In 2015, there were 2,510 DWI arrests countywide and 29 DWI fatalities.

Nassau County District Attorney Madeline Singas has a simple message for residents: “If you drink and drive in Nassau County, we will arrest you and prosecute you.”

“Memorial Day weekend is the start of the 100 deadliest days on the road, when drunk and drugged driving skyrockets around the country,” she said in a press release.

Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano said Nassau County Police officers are working all year round, not just MDW, in an attempt to prevent alcohol-related accidents.

The Memorial Day Patrol is funded by a grant from the New York State Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee through the New York STOP DWI Foundation and the Nassau County STOP DWI Office.

The NCPD and police departments throughout the county plan to use these funds to implement an effective DWI saturation enforcement strategy that has been proven successful in the past. The NCPD’s Highway Patrol Bureau will meet and plan the initiative and select which areas will be targeted.

“The Nassau County Police Department has a zero tolerance policy for those who drive under the influence putting those on the road at risk,” Acting Police Commissioner Thomas Krumpter said. “This campaign is intended to identify and apprehend alcohol impaired drivers. Our aim will be to make the roadways safe for all drivers and our targets will be those who disregard the law.”

Below are alternatives to driving drunk or high, according to Mangano and Krumpter::

• If you plan to drink, choose a designated driver before going out.
• Take mass transit, a cab, or ask a sober friend to drive you home
• Spend the night where the activity is being held.
• Always buckle up – it’s your best defense against a drunk driver.

“As a prosecutor for more than 25 years, I have seen the devastation that drunk and drugged driving can cause to families,” Singas said. “I meet with them regularly and it is heart-breaking. Make the right choice and don’t drink and drive.”

This MDW announcement was made by Mangano, Singas and Krumpter, who were joined by Patrol Frank Kirby; Deputy Chief Sean McCarthy; Executive ADA Maureen McCormick; Rich Mallow from Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD); Cathy Dubas, whose sister Karen was the victim of Drunk Driving; Marge Lee of DEDICATEDD; Larry Blessinger, owner of All Island Transportation; Greg May, Nassau County Taxi and Limousine Commissioner; Chris Mistron, Nassau STOP DWI Coordinator; and members of the Nassau County Police Highway Patrol Bureau.

Image via Mangano’s office